Two Defenders of Berk and a Night Fury
by AnimationNut
Summary: Hiccup and Sunset just can't seem to catch a break. Alvin's catching on to training dragons, Dagur is back and as deranged as ever, and a new, deadly dragon keeps reappearing. It's just another day on the island of Berk. Sequel to Two Dragon Trainers and a Night Fury.
1. Welcome to Flight Club

**I do not own Dragons: Defenders of Berk. Direct quotes from the series will be bolded.**

**So I got this up quicker than expected. **

**Two things;**

**One: Yes, Sunset will get a boyfriend.**

**Two: I'm debating on whether or not Sunset should get her own dragon. So I want your opinions. Do you want Sunset to have her own dragon? If so, what kind? **

**Welcome to Flight Club**

Fishlegs Ingerman sat in a dark chamber, his arms bound to his side with pieces of rope. The husky boy whimpered in fright as the flames of the torches went out, his only remaining source of light now gone. His eyes darted back and forth and his breathing increased. Finally, he couldn't take the silence and eerie atmosphere any longer.

"_Okay!" _He shrieked. "I'll talk! I'll tell you everything you need to know! Hiccup and Sunset are the leaders of Berk's dragon academy! They ride a Night Fury called Toothless! Then there's Astrid, who can be mean but also really nice, who rides a Deadly Nadder! And then Snotlout rides a Monstrous Nightmare and the twins share a Hideous Zippleback!"

A soft hiss sounded in the darkness and the torches were lit once more. Toothless and Meatlug, his Gronkle, were on either side of him. His friends stood a few feet away, and were staring at him with expressions of exasperation and annoyance.

"I'm sorry!" Fishlegs winced, knowing he had failed the trial interrogation miserably. "But you know I don't do well in these kinds of situations!"

"We've noticed," drawled Tuffnut Thorston. "But seriously, man. You didn't even last five seconds."

"Alvin is going to do more than turn out the lights," warned Hiccup Haddock, the well-known and highly-admired chief dragon trainer of Berk. "He'll do whatever it takes to get you to talk."

"Such as being locked up in a cell with imminent execution and having your dragon in a full body bind," added Sunset Hockerson, Hiccup's best friend and equally esteemed dragon trainer. "Just try to stick with the two things we discussed-your name and where you live."

"And nothing else," said Hiccup firmly.

"Okay, okay," Fishlegs groaned. "I'll do my best and work on it."

"Am I mean?" Astrid Hofferson, second-in-command of the dragon academy and Hiccup's sort-of girlfriend, asked as they made their way out of the cave.

"You sure punch a lot," said Hiccup feelingly.

Astrid smirked. "Well, yeah, but those are punches of love." She then promptly swung her fist around in a full circle, catching Hiccup and Sunset both in the shoulder.

"Yeah, love you too," Sunset said, rubbing her now-bruised arm.

"Ditto," agreed Hiccup, and the blonde grinned.

Eventually they reached the village of Berk (including Fishlegs, who caught up after he managed to untie himself) and separated. Hiccup and Sunset wandered through the misty village with Toothless following behind. "I'm worried about Fishlegs."

The redhead glanced over at her friend. "Hey, it's going to be okay. He says he'll work on it and Fishlegs always gives things his all."

"I wish I had as much faith as you do," sighed Hiccup.

"_Hiccup! Sunset!"_

The two teens whirled around to see Stoick the Vast, Hiccup's father and the chief of Berk, waving them down from the docks.

"That doesn't sound like his happy voice," muttered Sunset as she and Hiccup made their way down the grassy slope.

"I don't think he _has _a happy voice," replied Hiccup. They went across the wooden docks and found Stoick overseeing the docking of the fishing boats. "What's up?"

"You're going to ground the dragons," said Stoick simply before striding off to check on the next boat.

Hiccup and Sunset blinked after him in disbelief for a moment before hurrying after him. "Um, did you say you want us to ground the dragons, sir?" Sunset asked nervously.

"Ah, so you heard me. Then there's no excuse if you disobey."

Sunset flushed and turned to Hiccup, who was flapping his arms up and down wildly. "But we can't!" He protested. "We have to patrol, we have to train-"

"To ground a dragon means not to fly them," Stoick stressed, sending his son a stern glare. "That also means the activities involving a flying dragon are also banned."

"But that's stupid!"

Stoick crossed his arms. "Are you calling your father stupid?" He asked, a note of warning in his voice.

Hiccup pursed his lips. "I doubt you want me to answer that."

He promptly got a sharp rap on the head for his insolence. "Watch yourself," ordered Stoick. "You-"He pointed at the redhead. "-keep him in line. You're the only one he listens to around here. Don't let him corrupt you."

Sunset gulped and nodded. "I'll do my best."

"I don't corrupt her," muttered Hiccup, gingerly rubbing the back of his head. "She's just as disobedient and stubborn as I am."

"And that's why I have so many grey hairs," Stoick returned, turning on his heel and striding away. The two teens hastily followed after him.

"Dad, Alvin has Scauldrons, Whispering Deaths and Changewings. I've seen them!"

"I know you have. When you three were kidnapped and caged on Outcast Island," Stoick said stiffly, his gaze hardening. It was not a memory he enjoyed recounting.

"He's watched Astrid train a Monstrous Nightmare, he's no doubt read the Book of Dragons when he got his hands on it, and he still has Mildew."

"Who probably doesn't do so well in questioning," added Sunset.

"If Alvin manages to train his dragons, then he's going to come to Berk, looking for a fight. The only way we can stop him is with _our _dragons."

Stoick placed his hands on Hiccup's shoulders and looked him in the eye. "I know," he said, his voice soft. "But I am not going to let you, Sunset or the others risk your lives. It's my final word, Hiccup."

Hiccup deflated, knowing that this was one of the many times in his life where his father wouldn't budge. "Yes, sir," he muttered in defeat.

Stoick flicked his gaze to Sunset, who quickly repeated her friend's words. Satisfied, he nodded at the two teens and went back to work.

"This isn't ideal," Sunset said, idly scratching Toothless' muzzle.

"You're telling me." Hiccup rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Alright, gather the others. We've got to tell them the news."

The two split up in search of their friends. In about ten minutes they had gathered the rest of the teens into the arena, which served as their dragon academy.

"What happened?" Astrid demanded, crossing her arms.

"How come you automatically assume something's happened?" Hiccup protested.

"You hardly ever gather us here for _good _news."

"She's got a point," whispered Sunset.

"Okay, yeah, so it's bad news," confirmed Hiccup. "So...my father has placed a ban on flying."

A stunned silence ensued for a moment, broken by Astrid's startled, _"What?"_

Hiccup shrugged helplessly. "It sucks, I know. But what can I do? He's the chief…and my father."

"That's never stopped you before," snapped Astrid.

"I think I've crossed the line enough times in my life," said Hiccup dryly.

"You have to make him change his mind!"

"We're talking about Stoick the Vast," reminded Fishlegs. "He's stubborn enough, but when it concerns Hiccup's well-being, he's not going to budge."

"Hookfang gets really testy if he doesn't get his exercise," Snotlout informed. "And _you're _not the one who lives with a dragon who can light himself on fire."

"I'll keep working on it," promised Hiccup. "Sunset and I are pretty experienced at being argumentative. He'll give up eventually."

"And if he doesn't?" Astrid prompted.

"We're probably going to resort to sneaky measures," admitted Sunset.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "And Dad thinks _I_ corrupt_ you_."

…

Night fell quickly, and Hiccup felt no inclination to go home. Toothless wasn't entirely happy with his kids, as they weren't taking him for a lap around the island at dusk like they normally did. So the trio were at Gobber's forge, with Hiccup tinkering with his latest project-a multi-purpose shield.

"So what exactly are you going to tell your father?" Sunset asked. She was sitting on the edge of the wooden workbench, watching her friend work.

"I thought I'd just repeat everything I told him earlier and keep doing it until he either banishes me or gives in."

"Hmmm. That's a risky move-_ouch!_"

Yelps of pain erupted from the two teens as Toothless sauntered by, whacking his tail across their heads as he passed. "Toothless!" Hiccup scolded. "That was uncalled for."

Toothless only gave a snort and curled up in the grass. Sunset sighed. "We're sorry, bud. But there's not much we can do right now."

The Night Fury gave a grumble and looked wistfully at the full silver moon.

"Well, well. Never thought I'd see you two in my shop at night."

"Hey, Gobber," greeted Hiccup as the bulky man entered the forge.

"Hey," parroted Sunset, and she got a fond, light rap on the helmet in reply.

"No evening flight?" Gobber asked, glancing at the sky. "It's the perfect night for it, and the moon is full-"He paused when his charge and apprentice shot him annoyed looks. "Ah. Right. So, what are you working on?"

Hiccup brightened and lifted his shield up. Gobber studied the Night Fury painted on the wooden front and eyed the metal lining the sides. There was a large metal sphere in the middle of the shield. "It's great, but why have you been working this long on a shield?"

"It's more than a shield," Hiccup said proudly. "It's also-"

But before he could finish, the metal sphere shot open, and the grappling hook that was housed inside shot out and wrapped around Gobber three times before pulling Hiccup roughly into the man. Sunset burst into laughter. "Nice one."

"Shut up," muttered Hiccup. He gave the shield a yank and the rope went back into its place. "It still needs a few adjustments. With Alvin coming, we're going to need some way to defend ourselves."

"So…an island full of seasoned Vikings isn't going to do it?" Gobber drawled.

Hiccup flushed. "No! I mean, that's not what I meant. I know you've fought dragons and other armies single-handily, and I'm probably worrying more than I should. But we-"Here he gestured between himself and Sunset. "-aren't going to be of any use."

"Yeah. I'd like to see me going up against Alvin without Toothless," snorted Sunset, resting her chin in her hands.

"Stop that," chided Gobber. "You've done plenty without Toothless, and you're not useless. You do remember who brought about peace between dragons and Berkians, right?"

"So we got one thing right," Hiccup deadpanned. "But if we managed to bring peace between the Berkians and the Outcasts, I'll call _that _an accomplishment."

"You know your father is just trying to protect you, right?" Gobber asked.

Hiccup's features softened. "Yeah. I know. But he needs to realize that the safest I'll ever be is on Toothless."

"I'm sure he'll get it-one day." Gobber paused. "A day far from now."

"Thank you." Sunset rolled her eyes. "Don't you have a sheep to feed?"

"Ah, yes. It's Phil's feeding time. See you later. And you," he pointed sternly at his redheaded charge, "you are to be home two hours from now."

"Got it."

Gobber headed off, and the second he was gone Toothless popped in front of them, roaring demandingly. Hiccup groaned and placed his shield on the bench. "Toothless, I _know_. But not tonight, okay?"

Toothless remained firm. Hiccup sighed in exasperation and looked at his best friend for help.

Sunset bit her lip and eyed the moon. "It _is _really nice out-"

"You've convinced me. Let's go."

Toothless gave a happy purr and waddled out of the forge. Hiccup climbed into the saddle with Sunset behind him, and soon they were soaring through the inky night. "If my dad catches us, we are so dead," Hiccup called over his shoulder.

"Maybe not dead," corrected Sunset. "Probably grounded for life. I mean, we've done worse. Like the time-"She suddenly stiffened and peered over her shoulder. She could distinctly hear the sound of another dragon's wings flapping. Her emerald eyes grew wide upon spotting a familiar figure in pursuit. "Hiccup! Astrid and Stormfly are coming in hot!"

"Oh, she cannot catch us!" Hiccup said in panic. "She's gonna kill us for not bringing her along."

So they swerved amongst the sea stacks around the island, trying to outrun the Deadly Nadder. When they thought they'd lost her, they circled around and landed on the edge of a cliff. "I think that did it," said Hiccup, satisfied.

"I don't think so."

The teens jumped as Stormfly landed beside them with a frowning Astrid. "Let me guess. Sneaky measures?"

Sunset shrugged sheepishly. "It's a…temporary solution."

"Did you even try talking to your father?" Astrid demanded.

"We don't exactly have the whole 'talking things out' part of our relationship down yet," admitted Hiccup. "So…yeah. Temporary solution."

"So you were going to fly around all night, every night, without us?"

"It was a spur of the moment thing!" Sunset said quickly, feeling bad. "We were going to let you know. But there's going to be quite the consequence when we get caught."

"When?" Hiccup echoed, glancing over his shoulder at his friend. "Don't you mean if?"

"Please. We're getting caught. Let's not be in denial."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "After all we've been through, you think we care about getting in trouble? We're in this together, remember?"

"Right." Hiccup smiled. "We'll spread the word tomorrow. Berk's Dragon Flight Club is now go!"

Sunset was impressed. "For pulling a name out from the top of your head, that's pretty good."

"Better than Dragon United Monitoring Brigade, also known as DUMB," teased Astrid.

Hiccup flushed. "Okay, for the last time, the full name sounds good, especially considering that it came from Snotlout. Let it go already."

…

Dawn found Astrid, Sunset and Hiccup going to Fishlegs', Snotlout's and the twins' houses respectively to tell them about the new club. Sunset went over to the Jorgenson household, where Snotlout was already up and tending to Hookfang.

"Hey, Snotlout," she greeted cheerfully.

"Hey, Sun!" Snotlout hastily placed the barrel of fish in front of his dragon and shot the girl a smile. "What's up?"

Sunset quickly checked to make sure that Spitelout wasn't around. The last thing she needed was for the general of Berk's army to overhear what she had to say. It would no doubt make it back to Stoick, as the two were brothers and all. "Well, you know the ban on flying and how Stoick said he wouldn't change his mind?"

"Yeah. The big guy hasn't been too happy about it," Snotlout said, casting a glance at his Monstrous Nightmare. "He nearly torched the living room from restlessness."

"I think we might have the solution. Dragon Flight Club."

"Sounds awesome!" Snotlout said eagerly. "What is it?"

"An underground society. We train at night, where we're covered by the dark. Hiccup wants us to sharpen our skills so that we can fend off an attack from Alvin. But it's a secret, so you can't tell anybody. As far as we're concerned, Dragon Flight Club might as well not exist."

"Got it." Snotlout nodded rapidly. "These lips are sealed."

"Perfect!" Sunset smiled brightly. "See you later, then!"

Snotlout waved after her. "Dragon Flight Club, huh? Sounds decent, right Hookfang?"

Hookfang's response was a fire blast that sent Snotlout flying into a wooden wagon. The boy dragged himself out and shot a glare at his smug dragon. "I hope Sunset didn't see that," he muttered.

…

At dusk, the dragon riders gathered at the academy. Hiccup and Sunset stood in front of their friends, who were lined in front of them. "Welcome to Dragon Flight Club!" Hiccup said dramatically.

"Which may or may not exist," added Tuffnut.

"Don't start!" Hiccup said warningly.

"We need to be ready to face, and perhaps even ride, any type of dragon," continued Sunset. "From Typhoomerangs to Changewings. We've got some exercises planned and our first stop is Changewing Island!"

"Let's mount up," ordered Hiccup.

Soon they were flying through the night sky, sailing over the dark water and towards Changewing Island. "Quick note," Sunset called from her place at the front of Toothless' saddle. "The glowing things are _not _Stones of Good Fortune. They're Changewing eggs."

Snotlout flushed and Sunset winked playfully at him.

They landed in the thin, barren trees that populated the island. They didn't have to wait long, as soon a group of boars wandered into the middle of a Changewing ambush.

"I can't look," Sunset whimpered, pulling her helmet over her eyes.

"They hunt in packs," whispered Hiccup, watching the scene intently. "One dragon will lure a boar away from the herd and the others will surround it."

Sure enough, one boar was led astray and quickly surrounded. "Hey," Tuffnut said suddenly. "I know that boar!"

"It's Bjorn!" Ruffnut confirmed.

"They can't be serious," Astrid said in disbelief.

"Get away, Bjorn!" Tuffnut called. "Flee!"

The Changewings immediately looked towards them and Ruffnut hollered, _"Scatter!"_

The dragons took to the sky, barely avoiding the shots of acid. They weaved through the trees and Sunset glanced over her shoulder. "Keep moving, people! The acid won't work if we keep our distance."

"Not exactly ideal when you're on the slowest dragon," Fishlegs pointed out. He gave Meatlug a loving pat in apology. "Sorry, but it's true."

Snotlout ducked to avoid getting his head melted off by a spray of acid. "A plan would be nice right about now!"

Sunset thought frantically. "If they have nothing to camouflage against, we'll be in the clear!"

"Then up we go!" Astrid ordered, and they all soared higher into the sky. The Changewings pursued them, and soon they were exposed. Stormfly shot spikes from her tail and Toothless fired a plasma blast, scaring the Changewings off.

"Well," voiced Sunset as they flew rapidly to Berk, trying to beat the rising sun. "That went well."

…

The next night, Fishlegs brought them to a Typhoomerang burn mark, which was in the middle of the forest. "You can tell the age and size of the Typhoomerang by the burns it leaves," he explained. "It also tells what the direction the dragon came from and where its headed."

"It's still warm," observed Hiccup.

"So…it may or may not be close," added Sunset.

Snotlout glanced up and paled. "It's close alright. In fact, it's coming right at us!"

The rest of the teens snapped their heads around. A large figure was flying towards them, a shadow in the night.

"Scatter!" Ruffnut howled and, as they had the night before, the others complied.

"That's two for two," pointed out Sunset as they flew through the sky. She tightened her grip around Hiccup's waist and peered over her shoulder to ensure that they were safe. "I hate to see what's going to happen when we study up on Scauldrons."

Tuffnut squinted below, noticing a familiar figure riding an equally familiar dragon. "Hiccup?"

"Yeah?"

"Can your dad still fly even if he's not in Flight Club?"

Startled, Hiccup followed his pointing finger and spotted his father, a few yards below them on Thornado. "Oh, Odin."

"Evasive cloud maneuver, people!" Sunset ordered.

They quickly flew upwards and into the cloud cover. "We're going to have to stay up here until we're over town," informed Hiccup.

Astrid caught sight of the twins, who were flying Barf and Belch upside down. Their heads were sticking out of the clouds, in clear sight for all to see. "What are you doing?" She snapped.

"What? We can't see anything!" Tuffnut protested.

"Yeah, but my dad can now see you," returned Hiccup.

Ruffnut quickly glanced down, and it was to see Thornado flying up towards them. "Busted."

"Ugh," groaned Hiccup. "Okay! In Ruffnut's terms, scatter! Head home, try not to get caught, and if you do, don't say anything!"

In unison, the teens shot off in different directions. Stoick darted his gaze between the five fleeing dragons. He knew very well that his son and his friends had disobeyed his orders, but he also knew he couldn't do much without actually physically catching them. Right now, all he had were shadowy figures to go by. "Not all of you can get away!" He roared, and went off in pursuit.

"He sounds mad!" Sunset said anxiously, heart pounding as Hiccup guided Toothless towards Berk.

"Get ready to jump!" Hiccup said.

Sunset quickly stood up in the saddle, clinging to her friend's shoulders for balance. The second Toothless was over Gobber's house she jumped, landing clumsily on the rooftop. "Good luck," she whispered at their retreating figures.

She cautiously climbed down to her bedroom window. Feet balanced on the sill, she lowered herself down so that she could climb inside.

Instead of being welcomed by an empty room, she was welcomed by the irritated and exasperated expression of her caretaker.

"Do you listen to _anything _that you are told?" He demanded, lugging the girl into the room.

"How'd you know I was gone?" She cried.

"When you landed on my roof," said Gobber flatly. "You're not exactly stealthy."

"If you love me, you'll pretend you didn't see anything," begged Sunset. "Stoick is going to kill me. I was supposed to be the good influence."

"You did such a good job," drawled Gobber sarcastically. "And it's because I love you that I'm bringing you to Stoick."

"You have a funny way of showing it," Sunset said miserably. She followed Gobber out of the house and across the dark village. Halfway through the plaza, they met up with Stoick, who had a grip on the terrified Fishlegs. The husky boy looked relieved to see her, and she gave him an encouraging smile.

They would get through this without revealing Flight Club.

"I figured as much," Stoick said dryly, giving the redhead a disappointed frown. Sunset winced and stared at the ground. "Let's go, then."

The two teens were led to the Great Hall. Fishlegs and Sunset stood side-by-side by the large stone table, the fire roaring behind them. Stoick crossed his arms and glared at them. "Why were you flying and who were you with?"

The teens stayed silent.

"_You will answer me!"_

His yell echoed in the empty hall, causing the two to jump in fright. Sunset cast a quick glance to see how her friend was holding up. Fishlegs was trembling and pale, but he seemed to be okay.

"You know perfectly well that I've put a ban on flying," snapped Stoick. "Now, I'm going to ask again. Why were you flying, and who were you with?"

"My name is Fishlegs Ingerman! I live on the island of Berk! I will tell you nothing else!"

Startled, Stoick and Gobber stared at Fishlegs, who was staring firmly at the ground. It took everything Sunset had to keep from laughing. _Go Fishlegs!_

"What?" Stoick asked in bafflement.

"My name is Fishlegs Ingerman! I live on the island of Berk! I will tell you nothing else!" The boy repeated.

Gobber turned to his charge. "I don't suppose you have any _useful _information to give us?" He said expectantly.

With a straight face, she answered, "My name is Sunset Hockerson! I live on the island of Berk! I will tell you nothing else!"

Gobber gave her an unimpressed look. "Very funny."

"This isn't an interrogation," Stoick said in exasperation.

Gobber glanced around the dimly lit room. "Feels like an interrogation, though."

Stoick rolled his eyes. "Thank you, for helping."

"My name is Fishlegs Ingerman! I live on the island of Berk! I will tell you nothing else!" Fishlegs said again, now more confident and determined.

Barely able to hide her grin, Sunset declared once more, "My name is Sunset Hockerson! I live on the island of Berk! I will tell you nothing else!"

"_Out!" _Stoick bellowed, fed up with their antics and knowing that he would get nothing from them.

Sunset and Fishlegs hightailed it from the Great Hall, and it was only when did they reach the end of the stone steps did the girl dissolve into giggles. "Their faces! You were awesome, Fishlegs!"

Fishlegs flushed with pride. "Thanks!"

"Psst!"

The two teens looked towards the source of the sharp hiss. Astrid was peering at them from around the hut across from them. "Hiccup wants us to meet at the academy two hours from now," she whispered.

"Got it." Sunset nodded.

"Astrid! I didn't cave!" Fishlegs said eagerly.

The blonde smiled. "I knew you could do it. You can tell me and the others about it later. We better split before Chief catches us having a pow-wow."

So they hurried home for a bit of rest, and two hours later regrouped at the academy, where Fishlegs eagerly retold the story of his capture.

"I'm proud of you, Fishlegs," praised Hiccup. "I know my dad isn't exactly a guy you want to irritate, but you did really well."

"Yeah, but he's going to be suspicious now," Sunset pointed out. "I mean, we're kind of the only steady dragon riders on Berk as of now."

"We'll just have to wait until everything calms-wait." Hiccup frowned and quickly scanned his friends. "Has anyone seen Snotlout?"

As if on cue, the boy came flying in with Hookfang all ablaze. Sunset winced. "That's not exactly subtle."

Hiccup groaned. "I told you to be careful! What are doing, anyway? We nearly got busted a few hours ago!"

Snotlout rolled his eyes impatiently. "Well, I wouldn't have gotten here fast enough if I had to _walk_. I just saw Alvin and his army. I'm pretty sure they're about to attack."

"I doubt they're here for a friendly visit," muttered Sunset.

"Figured he'd show up sooner rather than later," Hiccup said grimly.

"So, the game plan is…?" Astrid prodded.

"Okay, you guys stay here and ready the dragons," ordered Hiccup. "Sun and I will go warn my father."

The two teens hopped on Toothless and Sunset flew the Night Fury to the Haddock household. They hurried inside to find Stoick asleep in a chair in front of the fire. Wasting no time, Hiccup grabbed his father's shoulders and shook him madly. "Wake up! This is an emergency!"

Stoick's eyes snapped open and on instinct, he lifted his son up with a roar and grabbed his axe. "It's just me!" Hiccup yelped. "Your only son whom you love very much!"

"What are you doing?" Stoick snapped, heart pounding madly. He dropped his boy and Hiccup smoothed out his tunic. "You know you're not supposed to sneak up on me, especially when I'm sleeping!"

"We're kind of in a hurry. Alvin and the Outcasts are here," informed Sunset.

"And just _how _would you know that?" Stoick asked, half sarcastic and half serious.

"Yeah, well, you weren't exactly following the rules yourself," Hiccup said flatly.

Stoick huffed in annoyance. "We'll discuss it later. Right now, you need to gather the others."

He slapped on his helmet and stormed over to the door. He threw it open, and was greeted by four dragons and their riders.

"Hey, Chief," greeted Fishlegs.

Stoick blinked at them for a moment before turning to stare at his son. Hiccup gave a shrug and a slight smile. "Yes, we will definitely be talking later," Stoick grumbled before heading outside.

He saddled up on Thornado and Sunset mounted Toothless, with Hiccup behind her. They took to the sky and flew for the Outcast fleet of ships. "I'm going to force them to shoot their first round!" Stoick said. "When they're reloading, you attack. Got it?"

"Got it!" The teens hollered.

Thornado swooped down and went straight for the Outcast ships. Immediately, bolas and arrows soared into the air, but Thornado dodged every one. _"Now!" _Stoick shouted as the Outcasts began to reload.

The teens obeyed and swarmed for the ships, flames and plasma blasts raining down. Alvin grinned triumphantly-he had expected this. "Let them loose!" He roared.

His men opened the hatch and Changewings shot out, flying straight for Berk. Sunset's eyes grew wide. "Not cool!"

"We can't let them get to the village!" Astrid cried. "They'll tear the place apart!"

"We need to head them off before they get there. If we don't, they'll be able to camouflage with everything and then we'll be sunk," warned Fishlegs.

Snotlout flew Hookfang in front of the Changewings, and startled them backwards with a flame blast. Stormfly and Toothless assisted by firing spine shots and plasma blasts, respectively.

"Astrid, you and the others bring them back to Changewing Island!" Hiccup ordered. "Sun and I will help my father deal with the Outcasts."

Astrid nodded and she took off with the other riders, herding the Changewings away from Berk. Sunset flew Toothless low to the water and they shot past the Outcast ships. The speed of which they were travelling sent a gush of wind up, rocking the boats fiercely.

Thornado sent out a sonic blast the same time Toothless shot out a plasma blast. They collided in the air and created a large explosion of plasma and sound. "Alright!" Hiccup cheered.

"Hit them again, Sunset!" Stoick ordered.

"You got it!" Sunset gave Toothless a nudge and the dragon obeyed, firing another plasma blast. It once again collided with Thornado's sonic blast, creating an effective attack.

The ships suddenly turned around, and Sunset stared in bafflement. "They're retreating."

"Good work, kids!" Stoick boomed proudly as they swung around and headed for Berk. When he received no response, he glanced over and saw them in deep thought. "What's wrong?"

"That was a bit too easy," admitted Sunset.

"Alvin's not exactly one to burst in without a plan," added Hiccup. "He normally puts a lot more thought into it."

"Don't worry about it," advised Stoick. "We've won!"

_For now, _Hiccup thought wearily.

Alvin was also not one to give up so easily. He'd be back-and this time, defeating him wouldn't be as simple.

…

They made it back to the Haddock household. Toothless went over to join Thornado in his little home at the side of the house and the teens followed Stoick inside. Hiccup and Sunset dropped down at the table, knowing the conversation that was about to ensue, and Stoick sat across from them.

"I'm still not entirely happy that you disobeyed my orders," he began. "But I understand that I was wrong. Grounding the dragons was not the best idea. But I want you to know that I did it because I was worried. I've lost much in my life, but I'll not let you two be added to those losses."

"We understand, Dad," Hiccup said softly, a small smile on his face.

"We'll try to listen," added Sunset.

Stoick gave a soft snort of disbelief. "We'll see how that goes. So, tell me about this Dragon Flight Club. What is it and how do I get in?"

Sunset giggled and Hiccup grinned.

"Well, Dad, there's one important thing you need to know about Flight Club. The first rule is that there _is_ no Dragon Flight Club."


	2. When Metal Attracts

**I do not own Dragons: Defenders of Berk. Direct quotes from the series will be bolded.**

**So, if I'm right, today should be TGirl15's birthday, as they said it would this coming Monday. Well, it's Monday. I worked triple-time so I could have this up by today. Happy birthday! xD Hope you enjoy!**

**When Metal Attracts**

Patrols-they normally occurred early in the morning or late at night. They only happened in the afternoon if something suspicious was brought to one of the dragon riders' attention. And a lone Outcast ship lingering in Berk waters definitely counted as suspicious.

So there they were, on a decent afternoon, flying rapidly over the waters in an attempt to catch the ship they had just spotted. It was a dot in the distance, but the dragons the teens rode were pretty speedy.

Well…almost all of them.

Astrid checked over her shoulder to see how Fishlegs was holding up, only to see him getting further and further away. She shook her head in exasperation and picked up her own speed to catch up to Hiccup and Sunset, who were at the front of the group.

They rounded a cliff, but there was nothing below. In fact, the ship was nowhere at all. "Aw, we lost them!" Snotlout groaned.

Heaving sighs of defeat, the teens landed on a wide, flat surface of a nearby sea stack. "Somebody please tell me how one Outcast ship can outrun five dragons," Hiccup said, a soft scowl on his face.

It was then Fishlegs arrived, Meatlug puttering lazily along. She landed between Hookfang and Barf and Belch, panting happily. "Does that answer your question?" Snotlout asked his cousin flatly.

"We were going pretty fast that time," Fishlegs said proudly, patting Meatlug's side.

"Yeah, you almost hit the speed of a slug."

"Settle," Hiccup told him warningly.

Snotlout threw his arms in the air. "What? It's true! If these two actually picked up the pace for once, we might be able to do what we need to do and not have to worry about losing them!"

"Settle," repeated Sunset, a bit more firmly. Snotlout pursed his lips and glared at Fishlegs, but he did not say anything further.

"No, he's got a point," Fishlegs consented, trying to not to seem too upset. "We aren't exactly great in the speed department. You guys go on ahead. Meatlug and I will stick around and keep an eye out."

"Are you sure?" Hiccup asked carefully.

"Yeah, totally. I'll use my dragon call if we see anything."

"I can come with you, if you want," volunteered Sunset. "To keep you company. And I think my Night Fury call is way better than yours."

A grateful smile curled across Fishlegs' lips. "Sure, but only if you want to get schooled."

Sunset slid off the saddle, allowing Hiccup to take the reins. The boy shot her a smile and she winked at him before joining Fishlegs on Meatlug. It was a tight fit, but it wasn't uncomfortable. "See you guys later," she said cheerfully.

The others bid goodbye and took to the skies. "How about we land on that cliff edge?" Sunset suggested, pointing off in the distance. "That way we can see most of the sea, and get to relax a bit."

"Yeah, okay," agreed Fishlegs. He had pushed Meatlug a bit hard, and she deserved a rest. As they flew for the seaside cliffs, they completely missed the Outcast ship creeping out from behind the sea stack they previously occupied.

They settled on the lip of the cliff, and once they dismounted Meatlug wandered off to sample the surrounding rocks. Fishlegs and Sunset sat on the flat stone, and the husky boy looked sadly out at the sea. "We're pretty useless, aren't we?"

"Of course not!" Sunset responded passionately. "So what if Meatlug isn't a fast dragon? She can do plenty of things the others can't do."

"Like hovering?" Fishlegs offered, as it was the only thing that came to mind.

Sunset grinned. "Meatlug is great at hovering, sure. She's also great at navigating through strong winds, since her wings have a smaller wing-span. She's also strong and has a club for a tail. That's pretty cool."

"It may be cool, but with what we do, speed is of the essence." Fishlegs rested his chin in the palm of his hand. "We do patrols, we chase enemies down, we engage in head-to-head combat. If we slow you guys down, it could end in disastrous results."

Sunset couldn't really argue with him there. "Maybe so. But you guys have always managed well in battle. A good strategy and knowing the limits of your dragon is just as important."

Fishlegs didn't say anything. He continued to stare miserably at the ground. Sunset gave a worried frown and patted his shoulder. If he was in the mindset that he was useless, then it would be up to him to get himself out of it.

She knew all too well what self-misery felt like. So she would offer all the encouragement and companionship she could in order to make her friend feel better.

Sensing her rider's mood, Meatlug waddled over and gave him a loving lick. Sunset giggled. "Meatlug isn't bothered."

Fishlegs smiled and patted his dragon on the head. "Thanks, Meatlug."

Meatlug purred softly and went back to her rocks. Sunset watched in awe as the Gronkle rapidly started devouring them, each rock swallowed in one bite. "Wow. Isn't that going to make her sick?"

"Nah. We have eating contests all the time. Watch!"

He grabbed a bushel of berries from the grassy side of the cliff and started eating them at an even more frantic pace. Sunset watched their contest in fascination.

"And you say that you aren't speedy."

…

An hour later, Sunset had to fly a woozy Meatlug home, as Fishlegs wasn't quite the perfect picture of health himself. She landed the dragon in the plaza, and helped Fishlegs climb off. He held his stomach and groaned. "I don't feel so good."

"Well, you did eat a heck of a ton of berries." Sunset bent down and inspected Meatlug, who was growling in discomfort. She seemed as if she were trying to hack out some lava (or other stomach contents) but wasn't being successful.

"Is she okay?" Fishlegs asked worriedly.

"I think she's sick from all those rocks. Meatlug, lava blast."

The dragon attempted to obey, but all that came out was a gasp of air. Meatlug looked forlornly at the two teens and Sunset patted her head. "Don't worry. I'm sure Gobber can help. He is the resident dragon doctor."

The two teens headed for Gobber's forge. "Gobber!" Sunset called. "We need your assistance!"

"What kind?" Gobber answered promptly. He glanced over his shoulder and arched an eyebrow. "What happened to those two?"

"Eating contest," Sunset informed. "They're not feeling so well."

"Meatlug's not spitting out any lava," informed Fishlegs. "Can you help her?"

Gobber studied the dragon, who was now splayed on the ground. "I can certainly take a look." He gave Meatlug's stomach an experimental pat before heading over to his box of tools. After rummaging through an assortment of weapons, he came across a small feather. "Here we are!"

Sunset and Fishlegs exchanged dubious glances. "I don't think a feather is going to help her," Fishlegs said carefully, not wanting to make the man upset.

Gobber didn't respond. He simple bent down and tickled Meatlug's stomach with the feather. She sprang up instantly, globs of lava spewing from her mouth and flooding across the forge. "Whoa!" Fishlegs yelped as the lava came too close for comfort. He raced over to Gobber's workbench and climbed on top. Gobber joined him, hauling Sunset beside him.

"Gee," Sunset marvelled. "That _did _work."

"I know what I'm doing," said Gobber proudly.

"Sorry about your forge," Fishlegs apologized sheepishly. "I'll clean it up."

"Don't worry about it," dismissed Gobber. "I'll get Sunset to clean it up later."

Sunset rolled her eyes, but did not object. "Yeah, I'll take care of it."

"I've never seen her spit up so much lava before," Fishlegs mused, eyeing the molten substance that covered the floor. "It's also a different colour."

"Maybe she ate a funny rock," suggested Sunset.

"Could be." Fishlegs nodded. "Hey, I wonder if that feather will work on me."

"Let's not find out," said Sunset pointedly. She already had one mess to clean up, and really didn't want another, more disgusting one.

Carefully, they jumped from the workbench and landed safely on a patch of grass outside of the forge. Meatlug lumbered over to them and Fishlegs rubbed her muzzle tenderly. "Thanks, Gobber."

"Anytime," Gobber said, brushing his hands on his blacksmith apron. "Try not to have any more eating contests for the time being."

"You got it. Sun, you want to help me clean up Meatlug?"

"Sure." Sunset glanced at her caretaker. "Can I take care of the forge tonight?"

Gobber studied the lava intently, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I'll handle it."

Although she was surprised by the abrupt change of her caretaker's mind, she did not argue. "Okay. See you later, then."

The two teens set off down the village and quickly reached Fishlegs' home. The boy retrieved two brushes. Together they scrubbed the Gronkle's hard dragon skin, and she purred in contentment. Just as they were finishing up, the other riders returned, landing just behind the hut.

Fishlegs and Sunset hurried over to their friends. "Did you find it?" The boy asked hopefully.

Snotlout scowled. "Do you see any Outcasts here?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "We wouldn't _bring _them here to begin with. We'd startle them off."

"Hey, Fishlegs!"

The teens looked over their shoulders to see Gobber approaching them with a shiny sword in hand. "Take a guess at what this was made of."

Tuffnut blinked. "Is this a trick question?"

Gobber rolled his eyes and handed the sword to Astrid. "Give it a try."

The blonde complied, giving a few experimental lunges and swipes. It was light and it moved through the air beautifully. "What's this made of?" She asked incredulously, admiring the weapon.

Gobber beamed. "From the weird lava Meatlug left in my shop. I decided to put it to use."

Considering that Meatlug had upchucked the lava only ten minutes ago, Sunset was impressed. Gobber was definitely a skilled blacksmith-no one could deny that.

"That's made from Gronkle lava?" Hiccup asked in awe, his mind already working out the possibilities of what he could create.

"I like to call it Gronkle iron," corrected Gobber, a pleased smile on his face. "I thought I'd be able to put it to good use."

"It is great," admitted Astrid. "But it's a bit too light." She tossed the sword back to its creator. "It wouldn't do much good in battle."

A mischievous twinkle shone in Gobber's eye. "I thought so too. Then I tried something."

He grabbed Snotlout by the collar of his tunic and pulled him from the group. He swung his sword up and Snotlout, whose warrior instincts kicked in, hastily brought up his own sword to block the blow. But it didn't do much good-Gobber's sword swiped his clean in half.

Astrid's eyes gleamed with glee. "Any chance you have enough to make me a new dagger?"

"Maybe." Gobber grinned. "And I might have enough for that new shield of yours, Hiccup."

"Really?" Hiccup asked hopefully.

"Of course. But I'll need some more Gronkle iron soon. I may have spread the word, and now the whole village wants some!"

The teens gathered on the edge of the slope. A line of Vikings a mile long stretched out and winded through the village. Fishlegs stared in wonderment. All of these people wanted iron from _his _dragon!

Maybe they weren't so useless after all.

…

Gobber set Fishlegs up in a corner of his forge. Every so often, the husky boy would tickle Meatlug's belly with a feather and she would cough out some of the precious lava that made Gronkle iron. Gobber would collect it and get to work, attending the needs of his customers.

Sunset sat beside Fishlegs and watched her caretaker work. She was curious about this Gronkle iron and what it could do. She also figured Hiccup would talk non-stop about it, so it was best to know what he would no doubt soon be obsessing over.

Swords, daggers, maces and shields were churned out at a rapid pace. Vikings applauded every time Meatlug shot out more lava. "These people really love Meatlug's new lava."

"I know!" Fishlegs beamed. "Isn't it great? We're actually useful for once."

"You've always been useful," countered Sunset, but her words fell on deaf ears as Fishlegs reveled in his newfound glory. She shook her head but didn't say anything further. Fishlegs was genuinely happy, and she wouldn't ruin it for him.

Hiccup showed up an hour later, having finished figuring out the tune-ups for his shield. While Gobber attended to the Vikings, he helped himself to some lava and worked on his shield. When it was all finished, the iron gleamed and the Night Fury symbol stood out proudly.

"Nice work," complimented Sunset.

"This Gronkle iron definitely did wonders." Hiccup smiled brightly, happy with how his multi-purpose shield turned out. "What kind of rocks did you feed her, Legs?"

Fishlegs faltered for a moment. "Well…um, I can't tell you."

"Why not?" Hiccup asked, puzzled.

"It's a trade secret, duh," voiced Sunset. She leaned her chin against her knees and gave her best friend a pointed look. "You don't share the secret of success so early."

Gobber levelled them both with a suspicious stare. "Uh-huh."

"Hey!"

Astrid appeared in the doorway, flustered. "There's another boat!" She exclaimed. "We need to move!"

Hiccup raced for Toothless and climbed on. Sunset was about to go on behind him, but she noticed Fishlegs lingering in the forge. "Aren't you gonna come?"

"I think I'll stay here." Fishlegs gestured to the line of Vikings behind him. "I might be needed."

This was stated a bit too pompously for Sunset's liking. She knew very well what a big head could do, as displayed by Hiccup and Snotlout on many occasions. "I think I'll stay here, too," she decided. In a lower voice she told Hiccup, "To keep an eye on him."

"Good idea," he approved.

Toothless gave a soft warble and licked Sunset's face. She bent down and rubbed his muzzle. "I know it's been a while since we've taken a ride, but we'll do it together soon. Promise."

Satisfied by this, the Night Fury gave his kid another loving kiss before taking off into the air.

"We're getting low on Gronkle iron," Gobber informed.

"On it." Fishlegs bent down and tickled Meatlug's belly. But instead of coughing up a stream of lava, she coughed out two small, metal spheres.

"Oh yes, I'm sure someone will be wanting a nice pair of earrings," drawled the blacksmith sarcastically.

The Vikings outside started to mumble amongst themselves and Gobber crossed his arms. "Alright, boy. I think it's time you showed me your 'trade secret'."

Fishlegs and Sunset exchanged quick, nervous glances. Gronkle iron had been an utter fluke, and neither had any idea what had caused it. It was one heck of a trade secret-it was so secret, not even they knew it.

"Sure," Fishlegs finally said. "Follow us."

Gobber closed the forge temporarily, and they took the long walk to the seaside cliffs where Meatlug had feasted on her rocks. Wooden wagon in tow, Gobber eyed the kids expectantly. "So which one is the magic rock?"

Sunset and Fishlegs stared at the surrounding rocks. There were at least eight different types on that large flat surface alone, and Meatlug had eaten all of them. "Uh…"Sunset bent down and picked up a smooth beige rock. "I don't think it's this one."

"And it's not this one," Fishlegs added, pointing to a rough black stone. He studied it a little bit longer and muttered uncertainly, "I think."

"You've no idea, do you?" Gobber asked nervously.

"I do!" Fishlegs protested. "There's just a lot of rocks, and it's hard to tell them apart. We were very emotional that day, too, so I might not have been paying _that _close attention."

Gobber moved so that was standing over the two teens. His hands were on his hips, and he stared at them. Sunset winced and moved her helmet over her emerald eyes. She knew that stare very well-it was the one he used to get to her to spill something she didn't feel like spilling. It was firm and unyielding and demanding, and no matter how hard you tried you couldn't look away.

You couldn't win against the Gobber Glare. The man had perfected it. It was almost as bad as the Stoick Stare.

Fishlegs crumbled in no time. "No, I don't know! Sunset doesn't know either, she was just being a good friend and backing me up! I lied and I'm a fraud and I'm a failure! Is that what you wanted to know?"

He was hysterical. Gobber easily lifted the boy up by the front of his tunic and gave him a slight shake to calm him down. _"Listen."_

Fishlegs gave a meek nod. "Yes, sir."

"We'll feed Meatlug these rocks one by one. Sooner or later, we'll come across the one that gives her the ability to make Gronkle iron."

"You promise?" Fishlegs asked hopefully.

"Yes," vowed Gobber. He set the boy down and gave him a clap on the shoulder. "Let's start gathering every rock we can find, yeah?"

Fishlegs nodded eagerly and got to work. Gobber turned to see his charge beaming up at him. "Not a word," he warned. "Go help him."

She obeyed, scurrying past and snagging the first rock she saw. She glanced over her shoulder with a wide smile. "You may act like a rough and gruff Viking most of the time, but you're a real softie. You know that, right?"

Before he could deliver a scathing response, she hurried off. "Blasted brat," he grumbled, not without fondness.

Twenty minutes later, they had filled the wagon with stones and were back at the forge. Fishlegs fed Meatlug a sandstone first. After swallowing, she promptly spit out some lava. Gobber collected it and tried hammering it into something, but all that came out was a clear, glass-like sheet. "Next!"

The shiny black stone went down the hatch next. Sunset frowned and wiped the sudden beads of sweat from her forehead. "Is it just me, or did it just get hot in here?"

"Actually, yeah it did," confirmed Fishlegs.

Meatlug started to glow a bright red and steam drifted off of her. Gobber hastily shoved the feather into Fishlegs' hands. "Tickle her before we get fried to bits!"

The boy quickly moved over to his dragon and tried tickling her belly. But the heat was too great the feather burnt up. Meatlug let out a strangled cough and the stone flew back out. Sunset sighed with relief. "That could have gone worse."

The crowd of Vikings suddenly started to chant Fishlegs' name. The redhead swore she saw Hiccup in the crowd, but after she blinked he was gone. "Weird."

"You know, this is how mobs start out," said Gobber conversationally. "They start to chant and soon enough they're tearing up one of their own limb from limb."

Sunset patted Fishlegs' shoulder as he shuddered in fear. She glared at her caretaker. "Not helping!"

"I don't know which rock it was!" The boy moaned. "She ate so many of them!"

Sunset's eyes brightened. "That's it! She ate so many of them!"

Fishlegs slowly smiled in realization. "Hang on, folks!" He called to crowd. "Gronkle iron is coming right up!"

They ran over to the pile of rocks and each of them grabbed a handful. Gobber watched in amusement as the teens fed the assortment of rocks to the Gronkle. "So it's the combination that makes the iron, then?"

"That's what we're thinking," confirmed Sunset.

Meatlug happily munched on the rocks and swallowed. The two teens and Gobber watched her expectantly. After a moment, nothing happened.

Then there was a great rumble in her stomach.

Sunset nervously gripped her helmet. "I think something's about to happen, and I'm not sure if we're going to like it."

There was another rumble, and the spear Gobber was holding shot out of his hand and attached to Meatlug's side. A second later a pair of pliers followed the spear's path. "She's attracting the metal!" Fishlegs yelped.

"We're kind of in a shop full of metal," Sunset pointed out in panic. Fishlegs and Gobber hurried over Meatlug and tried pulling the weapons from her side. But for every one they pulled two more came flying.

Sunset's helmet was no exception.

Her hands still holding onto the horns, she went sailing over to Meatlug and her helmet firmly attached to the Gronkle's upper body. Before the girl could let go, the terrified Meatlug took off, her rider hollering after her.

Sunset watched with wide eyes as metal started coming from every which-way and chased after them. "Meatlug! Try to calm down!"

But the dragon was too spooked to listen. Sunset gritted her teeth as her body flopped side to side. She supposed she could let go, though it would be a painful landing, and she really did hate to part from her beloved headgear.

"_Please come back!"_

Fishlegs was in hot pursuit. "Heads up!" Sunset bellowed, spotting two swords about to impact Fishlegs' head.

The boy promptly ducked and the redhead flinched as the weapons came dangerously close to her head. One hand holding her helmet, she used the other to pat Meatlug's side. "It's going to be okay! You just have to settle down and let us help you."

Her words did nothing to soothe her, and Meatlug continued her run through the village. A familiar _swoosh _caught her attention and she grinned at the sight of Hiccup and Toothless, flying after them. "It's about time!"

Toothless blasted some spears away before they could harm Meatlug. Snotlout flew in beside him, waiting for orders. "What the heck happened?" Hiccup demanded, glancing below at the sprinting Fishlegs.

"She's attracting metal and she's really scared!" Fishlegs explained hurriedly. "Please help her!"

"Alright, Snotlout, we need to herd her away from the village!"

"You got it!" Snotlout flew alongside the Gronkle and Hookfang looked questioningly at his friend, not entirely understanding what was wrong.

Fishlegs, while he liked Snotlout well enough, even though he had his 'moods', was not entirely comfortable with having him corral his dragon. "Heel!"

Hookfang looked back at Fishlegs and obeyed, sitting promptly on the ground and throwing Snotlout off in the process. The Jorgenson landed in a pile of potatoes and he groaned. "Yeah, not exactly what I wanted to happen."

"Sorry!" Fishlegs called as he sprinted past.

Meatlug took off into the air and flew for the forest. Sunset yelped as she dangled from Meatlug's side, a nasty drop below her. _If I wasn't letting go before, I'm definitely not letting go now. _

"_Hiccup!"_

"Coming!" Hiccup hollered. He frantically scanned the trees below, but he couldn't get a clear sight. "Different tactic. We're going to have to cut them off."

Toothless huffed in agreement. They picked their speed and quickly passed Meatlug. But they needn't have worried about cutting her off-a cliff caused her to screech to a halt. Sunset hastily thumped to the ground. She let out a sigh of relief and leaned against Meatlug, who was panting nervously. Toothless and Hiccup landed in front of them, and Hiccup dismounted the Night Fury slowly.

"Hey, girl," he cooed softly.

"It's okay," Sunset said gently, getting to her feet. She rubbed Meatlug's back, noting that most of the metal had gotten dislodged during the flight. She plucked her helmet free and tucked it securely under one arm.

Meatlug whimpered softly and started to stray backwards. "No, no," Hiccup said, motioning towards himself. "You need to come this way. We'll help you, I promise."

A sudden thought struck Sunset and her eyes grew wide with horror. "Hiccup-!"

Too late.

Hiccup's metal prosthetic dragged the boy towards Meatlug and attracted itself to the Gronkle's chest. "Your foot," she finished lamely.

"Forgot about that," he muttered.

Meatlug took to the sky once more, Hiccup dangling upside down. Fishlegs came tearing out of the bushes in time to see the pair growing distant in the blue sky. "His leg?"

"His leg," she confirmed. "Let's go."

She mounted Toothless and Fishlegs climbed behind her. "This has happened before, hasn't it?" Sunset mused as Toothless soared into the sky.

"Meatlug attracting metal?" Fishlegs asked in bafflement. "Cause I think I'd remember this happening before."

"I meant Meatlug carrying Hiccup away."

"Oh, yeah. Last year's Snoggletog."

Sunset caught sight of her best friend and Meatlug. She gave Toothless a nudge and the Night Fury increased his speed. "Little too much Fury!" Fishlegs squeaked, gripping onto Sunset for dear life.

When they got within hearing distance, Sunset shouted, "Not fun, is it?"

"Not particularly!" Hiccup answered.

"I'm coming, girl!" Fishlegs cried. "Sunset, I know what to do!"

"Hit me with it."

"We need to get in close!"

Sunset nodded and got as close to Meatlug as she could. Fishlegs eyed his dragon intently. "She's going to turn left."

The Gronkle did indeed turn left, and Sunset followed. "Make sure to stay in the blind spot," instructed Fishlegs."

"Got it." Sunset quickly adjusted their position.

"Right! Now dive! Perfect! You can level off now."

After following Fishlegs' directions, Sunset found herself facing Hiccup. He blinked at her and said, "Hi."

"Er…hi."

"How's it going?" Fishlegs piped in.

"Eh, could be worse. You?"

"Doing pretty good, actually."

Hiccup nodded. "Good, good. Uh, Fishlegs, this may be a bad time, but I really wanted to say sorry for just leaving you behind like that."

"Hiccup-"Fishlegs started, but his friend interrupted.

"I know, I know, you're going to say you volunteered, and even though Sunset stayed behind too, it shouldn't have mattered. I should have said something-"

"I'm trying to concentrate," Fishlegs injected patiently.

"And this is not exactly the place for a conversation," added Sunset.

Hiccup agreed and glanced past Sunset and Fishlegs. His eyes grew wide. "Not what we need right now."

His two friends turned to see an Outcast ship in their direct line of sight. "Oh, Odin," muttered Fishlegs.

"Not our day, is it?" Sunset asked, tightening her grip on Toothless.

Hiccup hauled himself up and clung to Meatlug's leg to keep him upright. "I've got an idea."

"Is it stupid?" Sunset asked with a suspicious frown.

"Maybe," he answered evasively. "Meatlug, dive!"

The Gronkle obeyed, swooping down. Sunset gave Toothless the same order and the two dragons shot past the Outcast ship. Instantly, their metal weapons were wrenched from their hands and the boat rocked violently.

Hiccup laughed victoriously. "Oh yeah! That's how-"He stopped as he spotted the weapons flying straight for them. "Oh. Right. Never mind."

"I got it! Toothless, fly under Meatlug!" Fishlegs instructed.

Toothless, who was not against following the orders of the other kids, nodded and positioned himself under the Gronkle. Fishlegs reached up and tickled Meatlug's belly. Instantly, the Gronkle spat out the assortment of stones, and the metal instantly fell from her body and the weapons fell into the ocean.

Hiccup landed behind Fishlegs with a grunt and he clung to Toothless' tail for balance. Fishlegs beamed brightly. "Okay, nice plan! Go us!"

The husky boy climbed onto his dragon and embraced her happily. Meatlug purred and licked his cheek, her long tongue stretching up. "I missed you!"

Sunset grinned and looked over her shoulder at Hiccup. "One of our tamer days, I'd say."

"Why didn't you let go of your helmet when Meatlug was running through the village?" Hiccup chose to respond to her remark with a question. "You could have saved yourself a bumpy ride."

"Well. I'm not always smart. And I didn't want to let go of this thing." She rapped her knuckles against her mother's helmet. "So I did the stupid thing and held on."

"I can't argue. I forgot about my metal foot. So we both reached excessive stupidity today."

A frustrated scream caught their attention, and they looked back to see the Outcast ship sinking. "Oh yeah!" Hiccup cheered.

"We're awesome!" Fishlegs and Sunset chorused, high-fiving.

"Plus we got the ship." Hiccup grinned. "Yay for lucky coincidences!"

…

They reached Berk and Fishlegs let out a sigh of relief as he climbed to the ground. "I'm glad that's over with. But…"He hesitated and looked in the direction of the forge, where he could dimly make out Gobber. "I suppose I ought to tell him there will be no Gronkle iron."

"I can come with you," offered Sunset. "If you want."

"That'd be nice." Fishlegs smiled.

"I'll see you guys soon," Hiccup said, moving forward on Toothless after Sunset dismounted. "We'll meet you in a few minutes?"

"If we take longer than five, come save us from Gobber," agreed Sunset.

Hiccup nodded and went off to collect the other riders.

The two teens and Meatlug walked towards the forge. "I want to thank you," said Fishlegs suddenly.

Sunset tilted her head to the side. "What for?"

"For staying with me. For believing in me. For trying to make me feel better, even when I wasn't being very responsive to your encouragement." Fishlegs looked at her. "Even when the Gronkle iron thing went out of hand, you still stayed to help."

"You're my friend," Sunset said with a smile. "I wouldn't ever leave you hanging like that. We're a team-all of us. We can't function without each other."

"I'm sorry if I acted crazy." Fishlegs lowered his gaze to the ground sheepishly. "I probably got carried away."

"You did what you thought you had to do." Sunset settled her hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes, that's what we _need _to do. And trust me, I've put up with Hiccup for eleven years. I've seen worse…actually, I've _been _through worse."

Fishlegs grinned, but the grin faltered when they reached the forge. "So, the conquering heroes have arrived back," Gobber observed, leaning lazily against his workbench. "You ready to get back to work? I've orders up to my helmet."

Fishlegs cleared his throat nervously. "Actually…I don't think we can make Gronkle iron anymore. We have responsibilities to the academy, and they're going to keep us pretty busy."

Gobber's face melted into an unreadable expression. Sunset glared at him. No matter the trouble she got in, if he gave Fishlegs a hard time, she'd let him have it. Fishlegs shrunk under the man's gaze. He felt genuinely guilty for quitting, when he knew how much pride Gobber held in his Gronkle iron creations.

Finally, a slight smile crossed Gobber's lips and he let out an accepting sigh. "I figured as much. Well, before you head off, I have something for you."

He removed a Gronkle iron sword from his weapons bucket and held it out. Touched, Fishlegs carefully took it. "But this is the first sword you made with the iron…for yourself."

"Yeah. But I think anyone who drives off an Outcast ship deserves one of these."

Fishlegs beamed. "Thank you! But I had some help."

"I don't want one!" Sunset said quickly in response to Gobber's teasing smile. "But you ought to give Meatlug something."

"I did." Gobber grinned and held out the two small metal spheres the Gronkle had coughed out earlier. "I think these earrings would look good on her."

Meatlug's tail wagged happily as Gobber held out the gift. She promptly ate them and nudged Gobber's hand in thanks.

"Guys!"

Hiccup swooped in on Toothless with an expectant expression. "We gotta get going. We got academy stuff to do. We need you!"

Fishlegs sheathed his sword in his belt and climbed on Meatlug. "They need us," he echoed happily. He turned to Gobber with a bright smile that expressed more than words ever could. Gobber winked and saluted him.

Meatlug took off into the sky and Sunset gave Gobber a quick hug. "Softie," she said seriously and hurried over to Toothless before he could respond. Hiccup had moved back so she could have the reins and she patted Toothless lovingly. "Hey, boy."

Toothless purred and, in response to her nudge, flew into the air. Hiccup wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled warmly. "Thank you, Sun."

Surprised, she glanced over her shoulder. "For what?"

"For always being an awesome friend, and for being there for Fishlegs while I was having a temporary brain meltdown."

Sunset looked around at the friends that surrounded them, and at the grin that couldn't seem to melt from Fishlegs' face.

"You did what you thought was right. Fishlegs did what he thought was right. Sometimes, we have to follow what fate plans for us, and nothing anyone says can interfere. There are some realizations we have to reach ourselves. I think we all reached one today."

Sunset smiled warmly at her best friend.

"Today, we all realized that we work the best as a team. When we work together, nothing can stop us. We're dragon riders. And only together can we defend Berk."


	3. Deranged Dragon Hunting

**I do not own Dragons: Defenders of Berk. Direct quotes from the series will be bolded.**

**Deranged Dragon Hunting**

Hiccup and Sunset stood in the middle of the academy, surveying their fellow riders, who were gathered in front of them. "Alright, gang, listen up. Tomorrow's training plan is Astrid's idea, so she's going to explain it to you."

He gestured towards the blonde, who stood in front of a wooden board with a map nailed to it. Snotlout and the twins groaned in unison, shoulders slumping. They knew instantly that whatever training routine Astrid had cooked up, it was _not _going to be easy.

"What's the problem?" Astrid asked, baffled by their reactions.

"Your training is so difficult," Fishlegs complained.

"It's not that bad," dismissed Astrid.

"Is too!" Fishlegs cried, holding up a bandaged hand. "We always get injured one way or another!"

"Yeah, hand to claw combat may not have been the best idea," Sunset said gently. "The point of training a dragon is to do so _without _fighting it."

"Yeah, and don't forget the spine dodging," added Snotlout, a soft scowl on his face. "I nearly got impaled."

"Key word being _nearly_," shot back Astrid.

"And the hot lava swimming was _so _stupid, but really cool," put in Tuffnut.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Tuff, we didn't do that one."

"Well…can I put it in as a suggestion?"

"No," Sunset answered. "I haven't even mastered regular swimming, let alone something impossible like hot lava swimming."

"This mission is a piece of cake," Astrid promised. She pointed at the map, which detailed Dragon Island. "All you gotta do is go from this beach, on the east side, to this cave on the west side."

Soft murmurs of agreement came from the four teens. Astrid folded her hands behind her back and smiled. "It'll be at night, with no camping gear and no dragons."

Groans of annoyance immediately rose at this added piece of information. "We are so gonna die," Ruffnut grumbled, kicking at the ground.

"What is the point of this?" Snotlout demanded.

"We're going to work on our stealth skills and wild dragon defense," she answered promptly, a smug smirk on her face.

"Come on, guys," persuaded Hiccup. "We know how well we work _with_ our dragons, but we haven't seen how we do without them."

"It's not going to be that bad," Sunset said with an encouraging smile. "We've done worse things, so this really should be easy."

"When are things ever easy for us?" Fishlegs muttered, a pout on his chubby face. He was hardly ever separated from Meatlug, and he didn't fancy the idea of spending a night without her.

"We'll meet back here the second the sky is dark," Hiccup informed. "Got it?"

"Whatever," Snotlout said snippily as he and the others filed from the academy, their dragons following behind. Hiccup and Sunset watched them go, and once they were out of sight the redhead turned to face her best friend.

"Um…are you _sure _this is a good idea?"

…

When the sky was an inky black, and the stars were covered by clouds, the teens flew their dragons to Dragon Island, armed with lanterns and a few weapons. Hiccup held his shield close and waited until his friends had dismounted their dragons. "Someone is going to have to miss the drill in order to watch the dragons."

Before anyone could volunteer, a wild Deadly Nadder swooped in and fired a blast that nearly struck Fishlegs and Tuffnut. The two boys hastily backed up as Stormfly and Toothless came to their defense, scaring the dragon away with ease.

"Yeah, they can't be doing that," Sunset remarked. "Someone's going to have to take them to the cave on the west side and wait for us there."

"I'll-"Fishlegs started, but Tuffnut cut him off with a loud, _"Me me me me!"_

Hiccup rubbed his chin in thought as he surveyed his two friends. "Sorry, Legs, but your dragon knowledge is hard to beat. We're really gonna need you here."

"But I don't _want _to be here!" Fishlegs wailed.

"If a situation ever arises where Alvin attacks with wild dragons and we don't have ours, we need to be prepared," reasoned Sunset. "It's going to be difficult, but it's important that we do this."

Fishlegs slumped in resignation and Tuffnut pumped his fist in the air. "Woo! I win!"

The teens bid goodbye to their dragons and started off. Toothless went after his kids and nudged Sunset playfully in the back. The redhead turned around and shook her head. "Sorry, bud, but you have to stay with Tuffnut."

"He's the boss for the night," added Hiccup. "And I _am _sorry about that. But I think it might be best to split the twins up for this drill. They're tough enough as it is-I don't think they need any more violence than they already have in their lives."

"Yeah! You heard him! I'm large and in charge!" Tuffnut whooped. "Let's head out!"

"You do know where the cave is, right?" Hiccup called after the departing group. Tuffnut did not respond, and soon he and the five dragons were well down the beach. "Um…yeah. He'll be fine."

"Okay," started Sunset as she and her friends went in the opposite direction as Tuffnut. "This is all about stealth. So we can take our time. The point is that we all reach the cave in one piece."

"We're also testing our own defenses against the wild dragons," added Hiccup. "Whether you decide to train it or merely evade it is your choice. Good luck, guys."

Snotlout, Ruffnut and Astrid took off while Fishlegs lingered behind, unease obvious in his expression. "So if I don't show up, you are going to search for me, right?"

"You're going to do great!" Sunset said assuredly. "We'll see you in a bit."

The two teens started into the forest with Sunset lighting the way. Hiccup idly spun his shield in his grip, eyes darting between the shadows in search for any possible threats. The trees loomed overhead, blocking most of the silver light from the crescent moon above.

"So," said Sunset conversationally as they walked. "On a scale of _uh-oh_ to _we pulled it off perfectly_, how do you think this is going to go?"

"Somewhere in the middle-probably a _sweet we all survived_," answered Hiccup.

They came to a halt upon spotting two fighting Gronkles. "Any quartz around here?" Hiccup asked.

Sunset spotted two pieces lying on the slope beside them. They each snagged a rock and rolled them past the bickering dragons. The second they saw the delicious quartz speeding away they scampered after the meal, tongues lolling out.

Sunset watched them go with a grin. "I don't suppose it's going to be this easy the whole night?"

"Nah," said Hiccup. "Not a chance."

The redhead giggled as she took in their surroundings, the lantern held out so that the orange glow spread out a few feet ahead of them. A quick flicker in the distance caught her attention, and her green eyes narrowed to peer down the steep rocky slope. "Hiccup, we probably should have explained to Ruffnut and Snotlout what the words _subtle _and _stealthy _mean."

The boy followed her pointing finger and a soft scowl curled across his lips upon spotting the fire. Dark smoke curled into the air, the strong scent wafted towards them by the night breeze. "We better go help whoever it is-I'm placing a bet on Ruff. Snotlout probably already got his butt burned by a dragon."

Sunset slapped his shoulder lightly in rebuke and the two started their way gingerly down the rocky slope. It was the easy way down, and the quickest way they would reach the location of the campfire. Sunset gingerly held the thin, wire handle of the lantern between her teeth, hands gripping the rough surface as she wiggled her way down.

Hiccup had a bit more trouble, as his shield clunked against the rocks and his metal foot didn't have much grip. But they made it to the bottom in one piece, albeit a few scrapes here and there.

"Whew," Sunset breathed once they reached the bottom. "That is not something I want to do again."

Hiccup agreed and adjusted his grip on his shield. "Come on. I can see the smoke coming from over there."

The two teens made their way into the forest. They came across a blazing fire, well contained within a circle of rocks, but no sign of the owner. Hiccup frowned and glanced at the surrounding trees. "Alright, come on out. I know you're here somewhere. You'll only get a stern talking to, promise."

Someone came flying out of the shadows and tackled the boy to the ground. Sunset stumbled back and shrieked in fright. "Hiccup!"

Hiccup groaned and stared up into the eyes of his attacker, who had him pinned down. "Dagur?" He asked incredulously.

"Dagur?" Sunset echoed with hidden dread.

Dagur blinked down at the boy, his feral expression quickly melting into glee. "Hiccup, buddy!"

He lifted the boy up into a bear hug with ease, squeezing the boy with all the strength he had. "Good to see you again! And Sunset! Always a pleasure!" He released Hiccup to give Sunset an amicable slap on the back-which nearly sent her flying to the ground.

"Nice to see you too," she rasped.

"It's so good to see that you're alive!" Dagur exclaimed, and then let loose with his signature demented cackle.

"Yeah, yeah, we're still breathing." Hiccup brushed off his vest and stared at the Berserker tribe leader with concealed panic. "It's uh, it's been a while."

"Since you two saved me from that dragon attack," confirmed Dagur. "You guys fought off a Night Fury!"

"Right, almost forgot about that." Sunset gave a forced chuckle, shuffling her feet awkwardly and trying not to stare at the multiple weapons Dagur had stabbed into the dirt.

Dagur eyed the two with sudden suspicion. "Say, what are you guys doing here?"

"We're-"Sunset began, but before she could think up a story Dagur answered his own question.

"Well, _I _know why you're here. You're here to kill dragons, just like I am!"

_Oh, Odin, _Sunset thought as Hiccup nodded his head rapidly.

"Yup! That's exactly it. We're here to kill dragons…just the two of us."

Dagur leaned over them, an intense expression on his scarred face. "What happened to that Night Fury, anyway?"

"Interesting story…it got away." Hiccup rubbed his neck nervously, attempting a smile, which came out a grimace. But Dagur did not notice.

"Perfect!" He exclaimed, throwing an arm around the boy and an arm around Sunset. "That is who we will hunt-the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself! We're gonna kill us a Night Fury!"

He dropped to the ground with a wicked laugh, bringing the two lanky teens with him. He started to howl at the sky, and when his new hunting companions did not join in, he paused for a moment. "Howl," he encouraged. "It makes you feel powerful!"

With a weak effort, Hiccup and Sunset joined Dagur's enthusiastic howling. "This is not good," hissed the redhead between howls.

"I'm aware," Hiccup snapped back in a low voice.

Dagur suddenly stopped howling and stood up, the teens quickly following suit. They went to sit on an old log, and the Berserker turned to his companions seriously. "Ever since that fateful day on Berk, all I could think about you two and that Night Fury. It was as if you already knew that beast, knew how it would act, how it thought. I needed to do the same-to get to know dragons like you do. So I came here, and studied up one dragon at a time."

He reached down and picked up a Deadly Nadder spine spike. "Got this in the leg-it was great! And that Monstrous Nightmare didn't stand a chance!"

Sunset turned white at the sight of a Monstrous Nightmare skull stuck on the end of a spear. She pressed a hand over her mouth and looked away, stomach turning violently.

A dragon roar echoed through the night and Dagur was on his feet in an instant, waving around a heavy-duty crossbow. Hiccup stared with wide eyes. "Nice weapon."

"Thanks." Dagur eyed the Gronkle iron shield resting by Hiccup's feet. "Um…is all you have a shield?"

"Yeah, yeah, just a good old, nothing-special-about-it shield."

Despite her nausea, Sunset managed to roll her eyes at Hiccup's hasty words. She sat up and removed her hand from her mouth. "We're not the best with sharp things."

"I've never needed to use a shield. I'm all about head-on combat!" Dagur threw his head back and let out a battle-cry.

Sunset flinched at the noise. "Yeah. We figured as much. Uh…how long have you been here?"

"Days, maybe weeks, can't really tell. Everything is a blur. Gotta be focussed." He got right up into Hiccup's face. "Have to have your eyes front at all times."

"Uh-huh." The brunette inched backwards. "Maybe you should take a break."

"Not until I get that Night Fury," Dagur said firmly. "I just know it's here-I can feel it." He snagged Hiccup's hand and placed it over his heart. "Can you feel it?"

He snatched his hand back. "No, can't say I do."

Dagur cackled. "Funny as always. Alright, brother and sister, let's go get that Night Fury."

He started off into the forest and Sunset stared at her best friend. "Never is easy, is it?"

Hiccup grabbed his shield and shooed her forward. With a sigh, she went after Dagur, Hiccup close behind. The trio slunk through the forest, and after a while a rustling in the bushes caught their attention. "That might be it!" Dagur hissed.

"Sounds a bit large to be a Night Fury," said Sunset cautiously.

True to her prediction, a Monstrous Nightmare flew overhead with another roar. Dagur stared after it. "Not a Night Fury, but I'll kill it anyway!"

Charade forgotten, Sunset smacked the crossbow off aim, allowing the arrow to fly off target and the Monstrous Nightmare to get away. Dagur loomed over the girl, furious. _"What game do you think you're playing?"_

"She was helping!" Hiccup said hastily, yanking Sunset beside him. "Night Furies can smell danger-it would have fled."

Dagur thought this over for a moment before laughing. "Who'd have thought that the runts of Berk and Dagur the Deranged would make such a great dragon hunting team?"

"Not us," Sunset said feelingly.

They continued on their way through the forest, Dagur tense and the two Berkians shooting meaningful glances at each other behind his back.

As they passed some bushes, the leaves began to rustle. Dagur dragged Hiccup and Sunset behind a rock and held his crossbow at the ready. Hiccup bit his lip, his gaze darting between the bushes and the weapon. Just as he was about to jerk the crossbow off aim, Snotlout came tumbling from the bushes, covered in dirt.

"Not what we need right now," he muttered.

Spotting them, a grin appeared on Snotlout's face and he rushed over to them. "Guys! You'll never guess what I've been through. Who knew there were so many wild dragons around here?"

"There's a reason this is called Dragon Island," said Hiccup flatly.

"Dagur?" Snotlout exclaimed, noticing the Berserker. "What are you doing here?"

He ignored the Jorgenson and bent down so that he was level with Hiccup and Sunset. "I thought it was just the two of you," he growled.

"Thought we were," Hiccup replied easily. He went up to his cousin with a stern expression. "I told you to stay at base camp while I hunt dragons!"

Snotlout stared in bewilderment. "Wha?"

"Try to keep up," Dagur drawled as he moved on. Hiccup waited until he was a distance away before letting out a heavy sigh.

"What is going on?" Snotlout demanded.

"We need to pretend we're hunting dragons. If Dagur discovers we have ours here, he'll kill them," Sunset said in a rush.

Snotlout's eyes widened in horror. "So…new mission?"

"New mission," confirmed Hiccup, and the three dragon riders hurried after the obsessed dragon hunter.

…

_Oh, give me a break._

Upon hearing a very familiar scream, Sunset and Hiccup quickly picked up the pace, where they found Fishlegs and Snotlout staring at each other in surprise. "Hi, Fishlegs!" Hiccup said in a loud voice. "I'm sure you remember Dagur?"

"He's out here hunting dragons, just like we are." The words burned her tongue, but Sunset managed to spit them out.

Snotlout threw his arms around his male companions. "Yeah, Fishlegs, we're having a good ol' dragon hunting time!"

"You're definition of _alone _needs some work," Dagur remarked.

"We'll do that while we hunt dragons," said Snotlout, nudging Fishlegs in the side.

"Dragons," repeated Hiccup, eyeing his husky friend.

"Don't worry, I got it," Fishlegs muttered, though his puzzlement was evident.

"Two down, three more to go," muttered Sunset as they continued on.

After a long moment of silence, Dagur spoke. "The two of us are a lot alike," he said, gesturing between himself and Hiccup.

"Really?" Sunset said idly, fingers gripping the handle of her lantern.

"Uh-huh. Hiccup and I are born leaders and are sons of chiefs who needed to be eliminated in order for us to gain power."

"No!" Hiccup exclaimed, horrified by the very idea of his father being killed. "No, not eliminated!"

"Well, if you change your mind, just let me know." With quick speed, Dagur spun on his heel and fired his crossbow. The arrow impaled Fishlegs' lantern and pinned it to the tree, the flames flickering feebly.

Hiccup cleared his throat. "Um…I think I'm good."

Everyone went silent as the bushes behind them, for the second time that night, began to rustle. The five crouched down, ready for an attack. Fishlegs nervously gripped his small weapon and nearly jumped out of his skin when a tap fell on his shoulder.

He turned around to see Astrid behind him. His eyes grew wide and the blonde placed a finger against her lips. He nodded in understanding and she went to hide behind some rocks.

"So, which one of your little pals is it this time?" Dagur asked in annoyance.

"Could be anyone, really," admitted Sunset.

A plasma blast suddenly burned through the bushes, slamming in front of a startled Dagur. Sunset and Hiccup gaped in horror as Toothless glowered at the enemy through the smouldering hole in the leaves, growling softly.

Dagur grinned in glee. "This is it! You have brought us the Night Fury! Now my arrow will be in its rightful place-through its head!"

"Wait!" Hiccup said quickly. "Can I do it?"

"But I saw it first!" Dagur complained.

Hiccup grabbed the crossbow. "But I brought you to it!"

"And I brought the crossbow! All you brought was that stupid decorative shield!" Dagur grabbed the crossbow back and got into position to fire.

A group of Terrible Terrors flew out from a nearby tree, startling Dagur and causing the arrow to miss its mark. While the Berserker was distracted, Sunset waved her hand, signalling for Toothless to take off, which he did.

Astrid strode out the forest, a frown on her face. "Thanks a lot! I almost had those Terrors!"

"Who cares about those squirts when there's a Night Fury here to hunt?" Dagur snapped. He whirled around and glared at Hiccup. "Let me guess. Those idiot twins are roaming around here someplace."

"Maybe," said Hiccup evasively, and with a scowl he stormed off, leaving behind the dragon riders.

Astrid stared at Sunset in disbelief. "Did he say hunt?"

"Yup," muttered the redhead.

"Toothless is-"

"Loose," finished Sunset. "Yeah. Which means that the other dragons are probably somewhere as well."

"Here's what we're going to do," said Hiccup in a low tone. "You need to find Ruff and Tuff, get your dragons, and get the heck out of here."

"_Hiccup! Sunset! Let's go!"_

"Good luck," wished Sunset before she and Hiccup hurried after Dagur in pursuit of their dragon.

They sprinted over uneven ground and clambered over boulders. Dagur frowned as the Night Fury stayed on land, its wings curled firmly against its side. He paused on a small hill, watching the black dragon run off. "Why doesn't it fly off?"

"Maybe it wants us to follow it," suggested Sunset. "Like a trap."

"A trap?" Dagur echoed, eyes narrowed. "Well, it won't work. A trapper's trap cannot trap a trapper trapping a trapper."

"That doesn't even make sense," she replied flatly.

"I know!" Dagur laughed and took off again. With twin groans the lanky teens hurried off. They watched as he fired off arrows, not aiming for Toothless, but leading him in a certain direction.

"What are you doing?" Sunset asked, trying to hide her nervousness.

"Trapping," he answered simply, lighting the next arrow and firing it high into the sky. Almost immediately, a barrage of lit arrows came from the opposite direction. "I didn't quite come alone either."

"Night Furies are lethal," Hiccup said warningly. "A couple of other men isn't going to tip the odds in our favour."

"Good thing it isn't just a few men." Dagur smirked. "I think a whole armada ought to do it."

"Uh-huh," Sunset said weakly. "That'll probably do it."

"We're gonna bring that beast right to them. And then it'll be all ours!"

"That's not exactly sporting," remarked Hiccup with a frown.

Dagur rolled his eyes. "There is no sporting in dragon hunting. We come to kill, not to play fair."

He stormed forwards and levelled his crossbow. Toothless' roars echoed in the still night, the dragon trapped on the edge of a cliff, a boulder his only guard against the Berserker's weapons.

"I'm done with this charade," hissed Sunset. "Let's get our dragon!"

Hiccup nodded and stood straight. "You're not killing that dragon."

Dagur groaned. "Ugh, not again. Tell you what, you can take home its wing or tail."

"Actually, we're taking it all." Sunset opened her mouth and let out a Night Fury call. Dagur stiffened at the sound and stared, stunned, as the dragon he was hunting willingly came to her side. He stared at the leather saddle strapped securely to its back.

"Wait…"

"You're seeing it right," Hiccup said firmly, coming over to stand beside Sunset and in front of Toothless. "It's a saddle."

Dagur frantically tried to process this as Sunset climbed onto Toothless with Hiccup behind her. "So I was right."

"All along," confirmed Hiccup. "On Berk, we don't kill dragons."

Sunset kicked the pedal into position. "We ride them."

"Your father-and _you two_-you lied to me!" Dagur cried, rage flooding his expression.

"My father wanted to keep the peace between the tribes," said Hiccup calmly.

"So to do that you made a fool out of me?" Dagur snarled.

"You did that yourself," informed Sunset. "You're kinda crazy."

Dagur glared and reached for his sword, but a roar from Toothless caused him to freeze. Sunset stared at the Berserker. "Your call," she said.

"We could have been a team," Dagur whispered. "But instead we're enemies."

"So be it." Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "But remember, we're the ones with dragons. And we know how to use them."

"Let's go." Sunset gave Toothless a gentle kick and the Night Fury took off into the sky. But they didn't get far-a bola flew into the air, snagging around Toothless' tailfin. The Night Fury crashed into the ground, throwing his riders off.

Another bola flew out and wrapped around Toothless' muzzle. With a furious scream, Dagur charged forwards with his sword. Hiccup quickly rolled in front of his dragon and thrust his shield up. Metal clanged with Gronkle iron, and Dagur kicked the boy away, the shield rolling off.

Sunset quickly collected it and threw it back, the shield dinging off of Dagur's sword and sending the deranged leader back a few steps. The shield flew back to the girl and she caught it, a glare on her normally friendly face.

Dagur threw multiple mini daggers at the girl, who protected herself with Hiccup's shield. Toothless swung his tail around and knocked him to the ground. Sunset threw the shield back to Hiccup. "Double team!"

The two ran for Toothless, the boy protecting his best friend from the arrows. "Hit him with it!" Sunset instructed, bending down and working on Toothless' bindings.

"You got it." Hiccup released the arrow function and fired an arrow at Dagur, who quickly dodged.

"You're going to have to do better than that," he sneered.

"Whatever you say." Hiccup fired the grappling hook and aimed it for the tree branch above Dagur's head. With a mighty tug, the branch broke loose and fell on top of Dagur, pinning him down for a brief moment.

"Sunset!"

"We're good!" Sunset freed Toothless' tail and quickly climbed on with Hiccup scrambling behind. Dagur broke loose and advanced, but he was easily knocked back with a plasma blast. They took to the sky, and found the other dragon riders waiting on the other side of the island.

"_Dragon in the sky! Attack the Night Fury!"_ Dagur's enraged words rang in the night.

"Let's go!" Sunset hollered, and the other riders joined them in the sky, flying as fast as they could from Dagur's armada.

"We could have taken them," grumbled Snotlout.

"Not this time," Hiccup said certainly. "But I have a feeling this isn't the last time we'll see Dagur."

"Of course not," grumbled Astrid. "It'd be stupid to think otherwise."

Once they were a safe distance away, Sunset decided to break the tense silence.

"So…did anyone have _fun_ tonight?"


	4. Invasion of the Deaths

**I do not own Dragons: Defenders of Berk. Direct quotes from the series will be bolded.**

**Invasion of the Deaths**

"_Don't let him escape!"_

Stoick's yell echoed in the early afternoon. The dragon riders quickly responded to his order, flying high and circling the village in search for the escapee. Sunset guided Toothless down a flight of wooden stairs to get to the lower level of the village.

"This is so embarrassing," she groaned, emerald eyes searching for her guardian.

"Well, he is a Viking," said Hiccup, who sat behind her. "Vikings don't tend to like baths."

"But they don't run away when it comes time for them to get clean," returned Sunset. "He's been in dozens of bloody battles yet he flees at the sight of a tub full of water. It's ridiculous."

"There he is!" Hiccup cried, pointing between two huts. Sunset flew Toothless to the other side, but the second they got there Gobber was nowhere in sight. "Geez," he muttered. "Who knew he could move like that?"

Sunset flew Toothless over the village again and found Gobber running between the huts. She tried to cut him off, but the man's quick feet prevented him from running directly into them. "Astrid, you're move!"

"You got it!" the blonde called back. Spotting Gobber coming her way, she said, "Stormfly, spine shot!"

A shower of spikes rained down and created a blockade, preventing him from going any further. "I'm not gonna do it!" wailed Gobber, backing up as Stoick, Astrid, Sunset and Hiccup surrounded him. "Vikings are supposed to stink! It's our lifestyle!"

"You keep up that lifestyle and I'm moving in with Hiccup," snapped Sunset.

"And that's not happening," added Stoick. "I can barely handle the one I have, let alone two. You're getting a bath."

"No, I'm not!"

Hookfang landed behind Gobber and Snotlout smirked. "Put him in the tub."

Promptly flicking his head up, the Monstrous Nightmare sent the boy flying into the air and directly into the wooden tub set up for Gobber. "I'm sick of this," he grumbled. "Aren't you sick of this?"

Hookfang snorted softly in amusement.

Climbing off of Toothless, Sunset gestured for her dragon to circle around behind Gobber.

"I told you, I'm not gonna do it!" Gobber snapped, raising his prosthetic hammer warningly, not noticing as Toothless slunk behind him.

"Fly up, Astrid," instructed Sunset.

Arching a slim eyebrow, Astrid obeyed, though she wasn't sure of what she was supposed to do. The plan became clear when Gobber's attention focussed on her, allowing Toothless to get directly behind the man and flip him into the wooden tub.

Stoick raced over and pinned his friend down. "Fishlegs!"

"Coming!" The husky boy flew over on Meatlug, a bucket in his hands. Hovering over the thrashing man, he tipped the bucket over-and only a trickle came out, splashing on Gobber's face.

Sunset rubbed the back of her neck. "Um…maybe a little more?"

"Sorry, but that's the best I could do," apologized Fishlegs. "The well's gone dry."

Frowning, Stoick let go of Gobber and gave him a stern glare. "You're lucky," he growled before taking the bucket from Fishlegs and storming for the well, Sunset and Hiccup hurrying behind him. Attaching the bucket back to the rope, he threw it down deep into the well and grew concerned when a resulting splash did not occur.

Pulling the bucket up, he stared inside. The wood was bone dry. "It doesn't make sense. This well is only two summers old."

"There was water in here yesterday," said Sunset in bewilderment. "A good amount of it too."

"Then where did it all go?" asked Hiccup.

Sighing in annoyance, Stoick rubbed the space between his eyes. "A new well will have to be dug. Until it's complete, we're rationing our water."

"And that means no more baths!" Gobber cheered, flinging his sweaty, dirt-caked arms around Hiccup and Sunset. Immediately assaulted by the foul smell, the two teens frantically wrestled their way out of his grip and stumbled away, gagging.

"We gotta go," wheezed Hiccup, and they rushed for Toothless, taking gulps of fresh air as they went.

"I'm taking up residence at your place," informed Sunset as she mounted the Night Fury, Hiccup right behind her.

"I don't blame you," said Hiccup feelingly.

Turning over her shoulder, Sunset spotted the three dragon riders eyeing her curiously. "Snotlout, Fishlegs, with us. Astrid, can you grab the twins?"

Astrid gave a dramatic sigh. "If I must."

They all flew to the sky, and the four riders headed for the academy. Astrid arrived with the twins a few minutes later, and they all gathered around Hiccup and Sunset.

"We have to find a way to save water until the new well is completed," explained Hiccup.

"Did we miss something?" Tuffnut asked.

"Yeah. The well is dry. Therefore, we need to save water." Astrid rolled her eyes.

"Oh. Got ya."

"Ruff and Tuff, you guys are going to take the washing tub and fill it with water from Lars Lake."

Tuffnut frowned. "Alright, but it's gonna take a few weeks. And one of us probably won't come back. It's gonna be Ruffnut."

Annoyed, Ruffnut slugged her sibling in the shoulder. Hiccup eyed the male twin hesitantly. "It shouldn't take more than an hour. You've got Barf and Belch."

"Oh, yeah, right. Then yeah. We'll be back in an hour."

Sunset giggled as Hiccup shook his head in exasperation. "Astrid and Snotlout, can you guys gather the water from the streams in the mountains?"

"Can do," said Snotlout with a smile.

"I am also not guaranteeing both of us will come back," added Astrid.

"Fishlegs, you and Meatlug are going to help us figure out what happened to the well," said Hiccup.

Fishlegs winced and placed his hands against Meatlug's side. "I don't think that's a good idea. We don't do too well in small, tight dark spaces."

Sighing, Hiccup glanced at Sunset, who grinned. "Hey, I don't blame him. Horrible things happen every time we end up somewhere dark and small."

"Thanks, Sun," said Fishlegs gratefully.

"Yeah. Thanks," muttered Hiccup.

…

Astrid and Snotlout crouched by a wide stream in a cove in the mountains, filling up multiple canteens. Snotlout studied them thoughtfully, and a wide grin curled across his face. "I've just had a brilliant idea."

"Oh, great," groaned Astrid. "I don't want to hear it."

Ignoring the blonde, Snotlout continued. "The people of Berk need water, right? Well, we have the water. I bet they'll pay whatever it takes to have this sweet water in their hands."

Astrid sent the boy an incredulous glance. "You're going to charge for water?"

"Yeah. But don't worry. I'll give you a discount."

Pursing her lips, she shook her head. "You're going to deprive people of a free, natural resource because you selfishly want to gain something. How do you think Sunset will take that?"

Snotlout's grin faltered. He could already picture the disappointed frown and sad gaze. "Um…actually, maybe it's not such a great idea."

Astrid grinned as he got back to work. "Yeah. That's what I thought."

…

"You're doing great, Meatlug!" encouraged Fishlegs, staring intently down the dark well. His dragon had a rope wrapped around her midsection, and was slowly lowering Hiccup and Sunset deeper into the stone well.

Sunset squinted up, clinging to the thin rope. Hiccup was just above her, holding a lantern. "Keep going," he called. "I think we're almost there."

The redhead snorted. "You're not even looking down."

"Well. Fishlegs is getting farther away. If it's any farther down, this well is probably a bottomless pit."

"Hey!" exclaimed Sunset suddenly. "Hold up, Meatlug."

The rope stopped and they swayed in place. She pointed at the stone wall, which was illuminated by the glow of Hiccup's lantern. "Look. The stones are wet from here down. The water level was this high yesterday. What the heck happened?"

Frowning, Hiccup brushed his fingers against the stones. "That seems to be the question of the day."

Taking a loose piece of stone, he tossed it below. The two teens listened intently, but they could only hear the solid _thud _as it struck ground. "Fishlegs! Bring us down!"

"Are you sure about this?" he called down, nervous.

"Yeah."

The rope continued lowering, and Sunset eyed the dark depths as they descended. "This is a horrible idea."

"Probably," agreed Hiccup.

The rope suddenly jerked, and the teens found themselves being pressed against the side of the well. "What's going on up there?" wailed Sunset, flinching as her head smacked against the well wall.

"Sorry!" Fishlegs cried. "Meatlug, steady!"

But the Gronkle was too concerned with a wagon full of rocks. The rope pressed against a sharp piece of stone and snapped, sending the two teens hurtling for the bottom. "Aaagghh!" screamed Sunset, wind rushing past her at an alarming rate. _"Oof!"_

She hit the ground with a painful impact, which only grew worse when Hiccup landed on top of her. "Ow," she whimpered.

"Sunset, Hiccup!" Fishlegs hollered, and Toothless dove down after his humans.

The two teens jumped when Toothless landed beside them. "Are you okay?" Hiccup asked in concern, getting to his feet.

Toothless cooed softly and licked his face before nudging Sunset's still form in worry. "I'm okay," the girl muttered. "Just have to recover from having Hiccup's fat butt land on me."

Hiccup snorted. "Shut up."

"_Hiccup! Sunset!"_

Stoick's booming voice echoed down the narrow well towards them. Cupping his hands around his mouth, Hiccup hollered back, "We're good!"

"_Are you able to fly back up?"_

"Not unless we have a death wish," muttered Sunset, gingerly sitting up.

"It's too narrow," Hiccup chose to respond with instead.

Agitated and worried beyond belief, Stoick looked over his shoulder to the Vikings that had gathered to see what the problem was. "Someone go and get me a rope!"

A few Vikings immediately complied, and Stoick looked back down the well, where he could dimly make out the lanky figures of the two teens. _"I'll be right down, kids!"_

"No, it's okay!" Hiccup shouted. "If you come down, then we'll all be stuck!"

"_Then just stay put until we figure something out!"_

Sunset snorted. "When do we ever stay put?"

"Dad, we're fine!" Hiccup held up his lantern and surveyed the area. The underground cavern was completely dry, no water in sight. "We got Toothless. We'll find another way out."

Stoick could only watch as the three moved out of his line of sight and deeper into the cavern. After a second, Sunset's voice drifted up to him. _"Hey! We found a tunnel!"_

_Not good, _he could not help but think. Whenever the kids found any sort of tunnel or cave, they always winded up getting into trouble. "Be careful!" he hollered. "We're here if you need us!"

"Which we probably will," whispered Sunset, peering over Hiccup's shoulder and down the tunnel curiously. "Though I'm not sure where this came from."

"What do you think, Sun? Down the scary tunnel?"

"We've never refused a tunnel before," agreed Sunset, and the trio set out.

"Why do I have the feeling we're not alone?" Sunset asked as, after a while, they switched to a new tunnel.

"Probably because we're not."

Sunset studied the expansive cavern, a soft frown on her pale face. "These look to be right under the town."

Before Hiccup could respond, an odd crunching sound caught their attention. Glancing down, he realized he had stepped on a rather large shell piece of a dragon egg. Toothless sniffed it and growled menacingly. Hiccup lifted his lantern, and the light revealed several other hatched dragon eggs.

"Ooh," moaned Sunset, gripping Hiccup's arm nervously. "This is so not good."

Spotting an old wooden crate, Hiccup moved towards it. "This has the Outcast symbol on it!" he exclaimed.

"Definitely not good," repeated Sunset, eyes darting about.

A dragon call sounded from deeper in the cavern. Hiccup pointed in its direction and ordered, "Give me some light that way, bud."

Toothless fired off a plasma blast, engulfing the area in a blue light. More and more dragon eggs littered the stone floor. As they moved forwards, they noticed a tunnel entrance in the ceiling and in the side walls. "Those are Whispering Death tunnels. Fantastic," groaned Sunset.

"I think I'll take the Whispering Deaths over whatever made that," remarked Hiccup, gesturing to a tunnel that was twice the size of all the others.

Sunset pursed her lips. "Yeah. We're probably going to die today."

"No different than any other day."

They continued walking, and once they reached the end of the tunnel they discovered that the exit was sealed with rocks. "Not entirely surprising," sighed Sunset.

As they tried to figure out what to do next, Hiccup's lantern went out, pitching them into darkness. "Even better," muttered Hiccup. "Toothless, a little light?"

Toothless relit the lantern, and Sunset yelped when the yellow glow revealed a Whispering Death hovering behind them. "I liked the darkness better!"

Toothless sent the dragon back with a plasma blast and the teens hastily climbed onto his back. Sunset snagged the lantern from her friend as he got up front. "Time to bail!"

Hiccup gave the Night Fury a nudge and they shot down the tunnel, frantically looking for a way out. The Whispering Death was right on their tail.

"Whoa!" Hiccup cried when another Whispering Death appeared in front of them suddenly. Toothless veered into another tunnel, which led into the wide cavern. Three Whispering Deaths popped out of the dirt and surrounded them.

"Okay, not fair," said Sunset, one hand gripping the lantern and the other arm wound tightly around Hiccup's waist.

Toothless swooped between the Whispering Deaths and took off down another tunnel. But about halfway down, the dragons stopped chasing them. "Alright, that's odd." Hiccup frowned and turned Toothless around.

"Don't go _back_!" wailed Sunset, pulling on her friend's vest in protest. "Are you crazy?"

"Yup."

They went back to the cavern, but it was empty. Glancing up, Sunset watched as some dirt fell from the top tunnel, sprinkling down on them. "Oh, Thor."

"They're heading straight for town!" realized Hiccup. "We gotta stop them!"

They flew after the Whispering Deaths, twisting down the long tunnel. They finally burst through the surface, the sunlight blinding them momentarily. Hovering high in the air, they spotted the Whispering Deaths attacking the village, with its occupants locked in battle. The other dragon riders were circling, and Gobber and Spitelout had one in combat.

"We're late," remarked Sunset.

"Guess we better join the party."

They swooped down and landed near the forge. "What are we doing?"

"Getting my shield." Hiccup climbed off with Sunset right behind him. "Toothless, cover us."

Sunset abandoned the lantern and raced after Hiccup into the forge. He grabbed his shield and hurried back to Toothless. Using the sun's light, he reflected it off of his metal shield and into the Whispering Death's eye. Hissing in pain, the dragon retreated.

"Score one for us." Sunset crossed her arms. "But we're going to need a bit more than that to chase these guys away."

"We better start with that one, then. Call this our trial run."

Climbing back on Toothless, they headed off in pursuit of the Whispering Death. Astrid caught up with them and Sunset quickly explained, "The tunnels they made drained our water."

"Figured that out already," returned Astrid. "We need to find a way to keep them in the sunlight."

"Got it covered." Hiccup hefted his shield up and kept the light trained on the Whispering Death. As they sped through the village, they corralled the other dragons. Hookfang sent off a fire blast that sent them speeding off over the sea.

"Those guys are the masters of destruction," said Tuffnut in awe.

"It's not over yet," muttered Hiccup, posture tense.

"Yeah," agreed Sunset. "This was just…too easy."

Just as the words left her mouth, a great rumbling sounded below them, the ground shaking. "Me and my big mouth," she whimpered.

"Not good, not good!" cried Fishlegs.

The ground exploded beneath them, sending grass and dirt flying everywhere. A massive, white dragon resembling a Whispering Death (but much more frightening) rose into the air, roaring madly.

"Oh, Thor help us," muttered Hiccup.

The dragon dove down, sending the riders scattering. "What the heck is that thing?" Snotlout asked.

"Whatever it is, it's definitely not in the Book of Dragons," said Fishlegs in fear.

"Right then. So this is also going to be an experiment. Toothless, plasma blast!"

The blast struck the dragon in side, causing it to whirl around and glare fiercely at them. Opening its mouth, it let out a loud, screeching roar that caused the dragons to sway in the air. "The scream is disorienting them!" cried Sunset, hands pressed tightly over her ears.

The dragon turned around and flew towards the village. Tuffnut stared after it and grinned widely. "I hereby declare this dragon to be the Screaming Death!"

A sudden hissing caught his attention, and he turned to see the three Whispering Deaths returning. They swooped past the dragon riders and followed after the Screaming Death.

"Plan! A plan would be fantastic!" Sunset said, eyes wide. "We've got an invasion on our hands."

"We'll take the Screaming Death," said Hiccup determinedly. "You guys focus on the Whispering Deaths."

They split up, and when they found the Screaming Death, it had cornered a Viking against a building. "Blast it!" Hiccup ordered.

The plasma blast struck and distracted the Screaming Death. It immediately flew in pursuit of the trio, and sent out a flame blast. Toothless dodged and it struck the old watchtower. Swinging around, Toothless caught the dragon in the face with another plasma blast. Furious, the Screaming Death swung its tail and smacked the Night Fury in the side.

"We're going down!" Sunset shrieked, yelping in pain as they bounced off the huts going down the slope before striking the ground. Hiccup's shield flew from his grip and rolled one way with Sunset while he and Toothless rolled the other way.

Groaning, Hiccup sat up and cringed back when the Screaming Death hovered in front of him. It unleashed a fire blast, but Sunset dove in front of her best friend and blocked it with his Gronkle Iron shield just in time.

The Screaming Death was quickly distracted from the teens by a sonic blast. Stoick came flying in on Thornado, and Sunset lowered the shield cautiously. The Screaming Death roared and took off.

"Well. That was close," panted Sunset. The two teens hurried to Toothless' side and looked in the direction of where the dragon had gone.

Stoick flew beside them. "I don't need to know what the thing is. All I want is for it to get out of here."

"We're working on it," promised Sunset, this time taking the front of the saddle, the shield in her grip.

Hiccup got on behind her and looked over his shoulder at his father. "We're going to drive it out of the village."

They took off back into the air, in pursuit of the Screaming Death with Stoick behind them. With his help, they assaulted the dragon with plasma blasts and sonic blasts. Flying above it, Sunset levelled the shield so that the sun's reflection was right in its eye.

Hissing, the dragon dove underground. But before they could celebrate, it shot back up again and flew towards them. "Scatter!" she cried.

Avoiding the massive dragon, Sunset stared at the shield in bewilderment. "Well. That didn't work."

"Then we need to find out what does work, and fast," snapped Stoick.

The dragon let out another scream, causing the dragons to writhe about in discomfort. "What's going on?" roared Stoick.

"The scream disorients the dragons," said Sunset.

"Shut it up, bud!" instructed Hiccup.

Toothless fired off a plasma blast that caught the Screaming Death in the chin. The scream stopped and it shot down towards them.

Toothless avoided it and took off with it in hot pursuit. Stoick took off after them, but got cut off by a Whispering Death shooting out from the ground below them. Spotting another Whispering Death approaching, he noticed the twins attempting to handle the situation.

"You two go help Hiccup and Sunset!" he ordered. "I'll take care of this."

"You got it, Chief," said Tuffnut and the twins flew off. "Um…"he turned to his sister. "Where do you think they are?"

"Wherever the Screaming Death is," shrugged Ruffnut.

"Oh. Right."

As twins flew off in search, Sunset was guiding Toothless around the sea stacks. But despite its size, it was able to keep up just fine.

The twins arrived with the other dragon riders. Astrid flew up beside Toothless and glanced at her friends. "Need some help?"

"Please," said Sunset gratefully. "This thing doesn't mind the sunlight, so we're out of luck on that note."

Hiccup brightened as an idea hit him. "Then I guess we'll just have to give it what it wants. We'll keep it chasing us. You guys fall back and hit it with all you got."

Nodding, Astrid gave the order and the others fell back. Sunset led the Screaming Death on a chase through the sea stacks, but a fire blast hit them and sent them flying onto the wide stone surface of a sea stack. The two teens were frozen as they watched the dragon rise above them, red eyes glinting menacingly.

But before it could attack, it was struck by a fire blast. The twins flew up and ordered Barf and Belch to fire again. Sunset and Hiccup quickly climbed back on Toothless and Sunset used the shield to get the dragon's attention. "I think I have an idea."

She guided Toothless high into the sky, the Screaming Death flying after them. When they were high enough, she levelled out for a moment before diving suddenly back down. The Screaming Death copied their movements, smashing through the sea stacks when they were back over the water.

Rounding a corner, Sunset had Toothless hover in front of a large and formidable sea cliff. The dragon came at them, and at the last second Sunset urged Toothless up. The Screaming Death smashed into the cliff head-first and dropped limply down the stone surface below. A bunch of rocks fell down and crushed its wing, causing it to roar in pain.

Hearing the roar, the Whispering Deaths hurried to its aid and helped the dragon into the air. They flew off into the distance and Hiccup sighed with relief. "Well. We're still alive."

"I feel bad." Sunset frowned. "It's hurt."

"It'll be fine," Hiccup assured her. "And I mean, it was either its wing or our village."

"I guess," conceded Sunset reluctantly. "Still feel bad, though."

The riders headed back to the village, where Vikings were already beginning the clean-up process. As the other teens went to assist, Hiccup and Sunset flew to the forge, where Hiccup normally kept his shield. "So you think Alvin's plan was to have those Deaths destroy our village?" asked Sunset, climbing off of Toothless.

"It's tricky. Alvin's plans can range from well thought out to spur-of-the-moment." Hiccup set his shield down on a workbench and the two teens started out into the village, Toothless waddling behind them.

"We ought to tell your dad."

Hiccup sighed. "Yeah. I know. Let's go see where he ended up."

It took a lap through the half-destroyed village, but they finally found their leader righting the wooden posts that had fallen during the dragon rampage. "Hey, Dad."

"You two alright, then?" Stoick asked, pausing in his work to study the teens.

"We're good," said Sunset. "But we have something to tell you."

"When we were in the tunnels, we found a crate with the Outcast symbol on it," informed Hiccup. "We think Alvin planted those dragon eggs directly under us, knowing that when they hatched they would tear Berk apart."

"Whether he knows how to train them or not, the problem is that he's still using them," added Sunset.

Stoick rubbed his forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache. "We'll deal with the Outcasts later. Right now we need to figure out how to bring back the water."

"No need to worry about that, Chief," called Fishlegs. He peered into the well with a wide grin. "The water's back!"

Curious, the two teens ventured over and looked into the depths. The water level was high enough for them to see their murky reflections. "Sweet!" exclaimed Sunset.

Hiccup grinned. "The tunnels the Screaming Death made must have created a new channel for the water and redirected it back to the well."

"Which means…"Sunset looked up to see Gobber trying to slink away. _"Hold it!"_

Stoick clamped a meaty hand on his friend's shoulder. "She's right," he confirmed. "It's bath time. _Ruffnut! Tuffnut! I have a job for you!_"

"I don't think I want to see what they're going to uncover from between his toes," Sunset muttered.

"Yeah," agreed Hiccup. "Let's go."

They started off, ignoring Gobber's loud protests as the twins descended upon him with buckets of water and soap. They sat at the end of the grassy slope that led to the Haddock household. Toothless yawned and settled by their feet, eyes closing for a nap.

"They're still out there," sighed Hiccup. "And they're going to come back."

"Of course they're going to come back." Sunset rested her head against his shoulder. "We're never that lucky."

"You know what that means, right?"

"Yeah. The Screaming Death is going to come back."

Hiccup nodded grimly. "And next time, I don't think we're going to be so lucky."


End file.
